The industry of the town was first based on the large amount of fruit growing in the area. There was once a canning factory and a basket factory in Forest. In more recent years, the town has become a dormitory community for the city of Sarnia and, to a lesser extent, London, Ontario. The large tourism area along the shores of nearby Lake Huron also helps local businesses. Several small manufacturing plants supporting the automobile industry have also opened in the past few years.