June 3, 2026 — Central Florida (I-4 Corridor & Space Coast) new business activity

Central Florida recorded 2,296 new business filings the week of May 13-19, little changed from the week before.

Almost nine in ten new filers formed as LLCs. Property holding and asset protection led all industries with 238 filings. Construction and trades and personal and other services each added 29. Those were the biggest gains of the week. Management of companies fell the most, down 32 to 139.

The bold average line shows steady growth over the past quarter.

The bold line is the 13-week average. Read it for the longer direction. The thin line is each week's count, which swings week to week.

Construction & Trades grew the most this week, 29 more (up 22.5%). Management of Companies dropped the most, 32 fewer (down 18.7%). Several smaller sectors also grew.

Orange led the region this week with 974 new filings. Gains were broad, with 4 other counties also up from the week before.

• On May 13, 2026, Seminole County commissioners voted unanimously to take the next step on a proposed regional indoor sports complex near the Boombah Sports Complex and Orlando Sanford International Airport. They directed staff to seek design and construction management firms for a facility estimated at $160 to $175 million. Projections put its total net economic benefit at about $2.4 billion over 30 years. That includes more than 322,000 indoor-event attendees a year, roughly 42,000 hotel room nights annually, and about 562 new jobs. A project this size would feed years of work to local contractors, hotels, and service businesses in Seminole County. WFTV, 2026-05-13
• A general contractor was picked on May 5, 2026 for the $500 million Westcourt Orlando development next to the Kia Center downtown. The 900,000 square foot project on 8.5 acres will mix hotel, residential, office, retail, and entertainment space. Groundbreaking is aimed for the second quarter of 2026, with opening set for late 2028. Early site work has already started. A downtown build this large pulls in contractors and suppliers now and opens new storefront and office space for tenants by 2028. Engineering News-Record, 2026-05-06
• A Miami-based developer is in permitting for a 94 unit townhome community in Cape Canaveral. The plan is three-story units on just under eight acres off Astronaut Boulevard along the Banana River, with prices starting around $650,000. Groundbreaking is targeted for the end of 2026 and home sales for early 2027. Growth in space, manufacturing, and biotech is cited as drawing builders to Brevard County. New housing on the Space Coast supports local builders and trades, lining up with this week's construction filing gains. GrowthSpotter, 2026-05-04
• A new small business consulting center opened in Palm Bay in 2026, serving Brevard County as part of the Florida SBDC at the University of Central Florida. It offers no-cost help on business planning, financial management, access to capital, marketing, and government contracting. The UCF-based network was named the U.S. Small Business Administration's 2026 National Small Business Development Center of the Year. New owners on the Space Coast now have free, local help to plan and finance a business close to home. Florida SBDC at UCF, Brevard, 2026-05-12
• Florida's 2026 legislature passed SB 122, repealing the law that let counties charge local business taxes (business tax receipts) starting July 1, 2026. Cities can still charge merchants a business tax based on gross receipts. But counties statewide could lose more than $50 million a year and must repeal the related ordinances. Starting in July, many new businesses in unincorporated areas may drop a county tax bill, though those inside city limits could still owe a city tax. Florida Association of Counties 2026 Sine Die Report, 2026-05-31
• The Orlando Economic Partnership's 2026 Global Orlando Report found at least 340 foreign-owned companies from more than 30 countries operating in the Orlando region, employing an estimated 40,000 workers. Regional global trade reached $27.4 billion in 2024, with $2.7 billion in foreign direct investment over the past decade. The United Kingdom is the top source of foreign-owned companies, followed by Canada and Germany. Steady international interest in the region points to ongoing demand from foreign-owned firms. Orlando Shine, 2026-05-22

If you sell to new businesses here, the buyer pool is steady. Almost nine in ten new filers form as LLCs. The fastest-growing groups this week were construction and trades and personal and other services. Each was up 29. Property holding led with 238. Orange County is still the busiest. But the week's gains came from Volusia and Osceola. Cities like Lakeland, Kissimmee, Clermont, and Winter Park also rose. It pays to work the outer counties too. No single registered agent handled a large share. These filings are spread across many real owners rather than one bulk filer.

We count new business formations recorded with the state of Florida for the week, limited to the eight counties in the Central Florida (I-4 Corridor & Space Coast) region (Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Seminole, Sumter, and Volusia). Industry groups use a plain-language rollup. County and city figures cover only places inside this region. We wait about two weeks after the week ends for the state to finish recording all filings, so the counts here are complete and accurate. Comparisons to the prior week use those settled counts.

Frequently asked questions

How many new businesses formed in Central Florida this week?

2,296 across the eight counties, little changed from the week before.

Which industries grew the most?

Construction and trades and personal and other services each added 29 filings, the biggest gains of the week. Administrative and support services added 17.

Where are most new businesses forming?

Orange County leads with 974, well ahead of Polk at 311. Volusia and Osceola posted the strongest county gains. Orlando is still the top city at 697.