in 1729 a cotton factory was built in the municipality. this factory was followed by numerous weavers, spinners and dyers, which until the 19th century provided a major source of income. in 1838 samuel weber opened a cigar factory in the village which lead to the cigar industry dominating the entire upper wynental. the cigar companies represented a major employer until the second half of the 20th century. major employers in the early 21st century include the schlör ag (which had developed from the brewery founded in 1888 and today produce soft drinks, fruit and apple juice) and alu menziken, which produces metal goods. since 1904 menziken has been the terminus of the wynental- und suhrentalbahn.