July 3, 2026 — Southwest Florida new business activity

Southwest Florida recorded 734 new business filings the week of June 12 to 18, a small step up from the week before and ahead of the same week last year.

Lee County did the heavy lifting this week. It logged 432 of the region's filings, close to 6 in 10, and rose 45 from the week before. Fort Myers jumped 35 to 140. Cape Coral added 18 to reach 145. Collier slipped 20 to 166, and Charlotte eased to 68.

The total edged up 2.5% from the 716 filings a week earlier, and it beat the 664 from the same week in 2025 by 10.5%. The pace has still cooled a little. The past 13 weeks ran slightly below the 13 weeks before them, and this week sat under the recent weekly average of about 820. This was a steady week, not a breakout.

New holding and property companies led the mix at 126 filings, up 10. Construction and trades rose the most among the big categories, up 12 to 82. Healthcare added 9 to reach 38, and personal and other services jumped 14 to 49. A few categories cooled. Transportation and logistics fell 7 to 35, and manufacturing dropped 7 to 6.

No significant change over the past 13 weeks.

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

Personal & Other Services grew the most this week, 14 more (up 40.0%). Transportation & Logistics dropped the most, 7 fewer (down 16.7%). Several smaller sectors also grew.

Lee led the region this week with 432 new filings. Gains were broad, with 3 other counties also up from the week before.

• Southwest Florida Proton, the first proton therapy cancer center on Florida's Gulf Coast, in Estero in Lee County, reached its 100th patient and expanded its hours to keep up with demand as of May 29, 2026. The center works with Lee Health. A growing cancer center hires radiation therapists, nurses, imaging techs, and front office staff, and it leans on medical billing, IT, and building maintenance firms to run. Rising demand for care lines up with healthcare formations in the region, which rose 9 this week to 38, a signal for anyone selling staffing, medical supplies, or office services to clinics. Southwest Florida Proton, 2026-05-29
• On April 28, the Collier County Commission approved the Imperial Lakes rezoning, clearing the way for up to 430 homes north of Imperial Golf Club near the coming Veterans Memorial Boulevard extension. A community this size is years of work for site and paving contractors, framing and trade subs, and landscapers, then property managers, cleaners, insurers, and accountants once residents arrive. The business that reaches the developer and the builder now is first in line. Collier County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller, 2026-04-28
• On May 28, Babcock Ranch opened the Curry Commerce Center in Charlotte County, an eight-building, 255,000 sq ft flex and light-industrial park for warehouse, service, distribution, and light-manufacturing tenants, with up to a year of free rent for the first ten leases. Filling a new park is immediate work for tenant build-out trades, signage and glazing shops, and landscapers, and every business that moves in needs local suppliers and services. Reach the tenants before the build-out crests. Kitson and Partners, 2026-05-28
• On April 9, Manhattan Construction broke ground on a 53,000 sq ft Southwest Florida office at 14161 Jetport Loop in Fort Myers, which it says brings more than 300 jobs to Lee County. A ground-up office build plus 300 staff is near-term work for subcontractors and, once occupied, for office-services vendors like janitorial, IT cabling, furniture, and print and mail. Get on the vendor list during build-out. Manhattan Construction Company, 2026-04-09
• Southwest Florida International Airport is building a new Concourse E, 14 gates with room for 19, plus new retail and food, with the roofing complete and apron paving underway per the Lee County Port Authority's May capital report. A major terminal build is construction work now, from paving and roofing to mechanical and electrical, and new concession and service contracts at opening. Restaurateurs and service contractors should reach the airport's concessions office before the gates open. Lee County Port Authority, 2026-06-03

This week points buyers toward the building economy. New holding and construction companies are forming in volume. The strongest prospects right now are the trades, the site and road crews, and the accounting, insurance, and legal firms that serve a wave of new builders. Healthcare is the other area to watch, with a growing cancer center in Estero and healthcare formations up 9 this week, to 38.

We count new business filings from the state's official records for the eight counties of Southwest Florida: Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, and Lee. We wait about two weeks after a week ends for the state to finish recording all of its filings, so the counts here are complete and final. Figures compare the reported week to the week before and to the same week a year ago.

Frequently asked questions

Which county led new business activity this week?

Lee County, with 432 filings, close to 6 in 10 across the region. Fort Myers and Cape Coral drove most of Lee's gain.

Is business formation speeding up or slowing down here?

It held steady. The week rose 2.5% from the week before and beat last year by 10.5%, but the past 13 weeks ran a little below the prior 13, and the week sat under the recent average of about 820.