Starting in the 19th century, the farms in the village switched from growing grain to livestock and dairy farming. A dairyman's cooperative and three cheese factories opened. In 1869, the Ammann Mühlebau-Werkstätte opened in Madiswil. This was the first factory of what became the Ammann company, which is now a large multinational with 2,900 employees that builds construction equipment. The company is now headquartered in nearby Langenthal. In 1889, the Langenthal-Huttwil-Wolhusen railway built a station in Madiswil, which made it easy for commuters to work in nearby Langenthal. In the 1960s several new housing estates were built on the outskirts of the village. At the beginning of the 21st century the main village has become a commercial and industrial center for the surrounding rural hamlets.