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NewBiz Alert Central Florida (I-4 Corridor & Space Coast) weekly brief

August 12, 2026 — Central Florida (I-4 Corridor & Space Coast) new business activity

By NewBiz Alert, for the week of July 22 to July 28, 2026, from Florida Division of Corporations filings. How we built this.

New business filings

2,737

Week of July 22 to 28, 2026

vs the week before

-2.1%

Down 60 from 2,797

vs the same week last year

-8.5%

Down 254 from 2,991

13 week average

2,951

Filings per week across the region

Which of these applies to you

Central Florida's eight counties recorded 2,737 new business filings the week of July 22 to 28, 2026, down 60 from the week before and down 254 from the same week a year ago.

Orange County lost 91 filings on its own, more than the whole region gave up. That one county explains the drop. Orange is still the largest by a wide margin at 1,063 filings.

Four counties went the other way. Polk added 42 to reach 424. Lake added 23 to reach 195. Sumter added 10 to reach 50, and Seminole added 3 to reach 235. The gains sit on the western and northern edges of the I-4 corridor.

The city list shifted even though the county order held. Davenport climbed two places to 4th with 94 filings and Clermont climbed three to 9th with 67. Lakeland rose to 129. Orlando fell 65 to 767, and Melbourne fell 21 to 77.

Property holding companies were the largest single group at 351. Professional services came next at 339, and its drop of 49 was the steepest of any group. Construction and trades barely moved, down 3 to 218.

The trend

How the region is trending

How the region is trendingThe bold green line is the 13-week average trend. The thin gray line is each week's new-business count, which swings more week to week. The left axis shows the number of new filings.01,0002,0003,0004,000Apr 29Jul 22

A steady slowdown 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.

The yearly pattern

How the year usually runs

  • 2025-26
  • 2024-25
  • 2023-24
  • 2022-23
  • 2021-22
New businesses by month, this month last year to nowEach line is one year, ending at the current month on the right. The height is how many new businesses were formed that month, so a reader can see the yearly pattern and how the years compare. The left axis shows the number of new filings.5,00010,00015,00020,000JulAugSepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJun

New business formation usually runs highest around Mar and is quietest around Dec, holding near 12,500 a month across the years.

Each line is one year, ending at the current month on the right, so you can read the past year left to right. New Year's Day is left out because the state office is closed, so almost no businesses register that day.

The week

What is forming

Personal & Other Services grew the most this week, 6 more (up 2.8%). Professional Services dropped the most, 49 fewer (down 12.6%).

SectorLast weekThis weekChange
Property Holding & Asset Protection389351-38 (-9.8%)
Professional Services388339-49 (-12.6%)
Administrative & Support Services229226-3 (-1.3%)
Personal & Other Services216222+6 (+2.8%)
Construction & Trades221218-3 (-1.4%)
Retail206205-1 (-0.5%)
Hospitality & Tourism210201-9 (-4.3%)
Transportation & Logistics162153-9 (-5.6%)
Real Estate142136-6 (-4.2%)
Healthcare152130-22 (-14.5%)

Where

Busiest places this week

Orange led the region this week with 1,063 new filings. 4 of the other 7 counties shown here were also up from the week before.

Top countiesLast weekThis weekChangeRank move
Orange1,1541,063-91 (-7.9%)Held at #1
Polk382424+42 (+11%)Held at #2
Brevard295271-24 (-8.1%)Held at #3
Volusia268264-4 (-1.5%)Held at #4
Osceola254235-19 (-7.5%)Held at #5
Seminole232235+3 (+1.3%)Held at #6
Lake172195+23 (+13.4%)Held at #7
Sumter4050+10 (+25%)Held at #8
Top citiesLast weekThis weekChangeRank move
Orlando832767-65 (-7.8%)Held at #1
Kissimmee226210-16 (-7.1%)Held at #2
Lakeland117129+12 (+10.3%)Held at #3
Davenport8694+8 (+9.3%)Up 2, from #6
Winter Garden9588-7 (-7.4%)Held at #5
Palm Bay6679+13 (+19.7%)Up 3, from #9
Melbourne9877-21 (-21.4%)Down 3, from #4
Apopka7168-3 (-4.2%)Down 1, from #7
Clermont5567+12 (+21.8%)Up 3, from #12
Winter Haven6556-9 (-13.8%)Held at #10

Notables

Standouts this week

A small bump in mining and quarrying

Mining and quarrying filings came in at 6 this week, several times the normal pace for the region. Six is a very small number, and one batch of paperwork can account for all of it. Watch it rather than read anything into it yet.

Around the region

Local context

  • Seminole County commissioners took up two commercial rezonings on July 14, 2026, both on state road frontage.

    2 opportunities in this update

    • The Henderson Hill rezone, case Z2025-025, would move about 4.32 acres at the northwest corner of W SR 46 and Henderson Lane from A-1 agriculture to C-1 retail commercial. The plan is three restaurants with drive through service lanes. Three restaurants on one corner means clearing, paving, utility runs, kitchen fit out and signage, and those packages are bid locally.
    • The Slavia Station rezone, case Z2025-011, covers a coffee shop and the renovation of a historical building on about 1.45 acres on the east side of SR 426, south of Red Bug Rd. Renovation work pulls in a different set of trades than new construction does. Older buildings usually need specialists rather than production crews.

    Restaurant and retail projects hire a long list of local trades well before the doors open.

    Who this helps

    • general contractors
    • site work and excavation crews
    • concrete and paving contractors
    • electricians
    • plumbers
    • commercial HVAC contractors
    • roofers
    • commercial kitchen equipment suppliers
    • sign makers
    • civil engineers
    • landscapers

    Seminole County Board of County Commissioners, 2026-07-14

  • Polk County commissioners held adoption hearings on June 16, 2026 for three small scale changes to the county's land use map.

    3 opportunities in this update

    • Case LDCPAS-2026-3, Sumner North Cozart Road, moves about 25.8 acres from Business Park Center to Industrial. Industrial ground at that size is where warehouses, storage yards and light manufacturing end up. The site has to be cleared, graded and served with utilities before any of that goes vertical.
    • Case LDCPAS-2025-36 moves about 1.35 acres on Hwy 540A from Residential Suburban-X to Office Center-X. Small office parcels feed the interior fit out trades and, once leased, the professional tenants who need local accounting, insurance and IT.
    • Case LDCPAS-2025-12 moves about 19.47 acres on Keller Road out of Phosphate Mining and into Agricultural and Residential Rural. Land coming off a mining designation opens up to farming and rural housing instead.

    Polk added 42 filings this week, and land moving into industrial and office use is the kind of public record that lines up with that.

    Who this helps

    • excavation and grading crews
    • utility contractors
    • civil engineers
    • surveyors
    • general contractors
    • building materials suppliers
    • commercial real estate brokers
    • land use attorneys

    Polk County Board of County Commissioners, 2026-06-16

  • Polk County commissioners voted on July 7, 2026 to set adoption hearings on two more land use changes, both scheduled for July 21, 2026.

    2 opportunities in this update

    • Case LDCD-2026-3, Goldenrod Lane, would move about 17.1 acres from the Residential-Low 1X sub district to Residential Low-4X. That change allows more homes on the same ground, so approval turns one parcel into a much larger job for home builders and the trades behind them.
    • Case LDCPAS-2025-24, Shimmering Drive, would move about 3.87 acres from Residential-Suburban to Community Activity Center-X. Activity center land is where neighborhood retail and everyday services are allowed to go, which is what usually follows new rooftops.

    Denser housing on 17.1 acres brings in the full run of residential trades, from framing through finish work.

    Who this helps

    • home builders
    • framing carpenters
    • roofers
    • plumbers
    • electricians
    • drywall and insulation contractors
    • painters and flooring installers
    • landscapers
    • surveyors
    • title and settlement companies

    Polk County Board of County Commissioners, 2026-07-07

  • Seminole County's development review committee reviewed a proposed site plan for an industrial storage yard on 11.18 acres in the M-1 zoning district, at the north west corner of Hickman Dr and James Wesley Ln, filed as project number 26-06000014.

    A storage yard on 11.18 acres is mostly ground work, drainage, fencing and paving rather than vertical building, so the money lands with a specific set of contractors.

    Who this helps

    • excavation and paving crews
    • fencing contractors
    • stormwater and drainage contractors
    • surveyors
    • civil engineers
    • security systems installers
    • commercial landscapers

    Seminole County Development Review Committee, 2026-05-27

  • Port Canaveral started a $95 million expansion and renovation of Cruise Terminal 10. The finished building runs more than 145,000 square feet, close to 30% larger than the space it replaces, and will handle ships carrying up to 7,000 passengers. The port named Bermello Ajamil of Miami as architect and PCL Construction Services, Inc. of Orlando as contractor. The work is scheduled to finish in November 2027.

    A $95 million job running to November 2027 is more than a year of steady subcontract and supply work, and the general contractor is based in Orlando, so much of the buying stays inside the region.

    Who this helps

    • electrical subcontractors
    • mechanical and HVAC contractors
    • glaziers
    • elevator and escalator installers
    • commercial flooring installers
    • security systems installers
    • equipment rental companies
    • freight and hauling companies
    • commercial cleaning companies

    Port Canaveral (Canaveral Port Authority), 2026-08-06

  • Port Canaveral is putting $5.2 million into a new working waterfront for commercial fishing. The plan covers 125 feet of dedicated bulkhead, a 16 slip dock, an open air pavilion with fish cleaning stations, office and restroom buildings, and parking and storage for trucks and trailers. Construction is expected to finish in early 2027. The port says its on site fish processors handle about four million pounds of fresh fish each year.

    Marine construction is specialist work that few firms can bid, and the finished dock supports the boats, processors and truckers moving four million pounds of fish a year.

    Who this helps

    • marine contractors
    • pile driving crews
    • dock builders
    • commercial plumbers
    • electricians
    • refrigeration contractors
    • seafood processors
    • trucking and cold storage companies

    Port Canaveral (Canaveral Port Authority), 2026-07-01

  • Orange County opened two new buildings at its Multicultural Center. The Innovation Center runs more than 20,000 square feet and holds a makerspace, a fabric arts studio, a robotics lab, a computer lab, an immersive technology lab and a multipurpose room. The county says the space is meant to support workforce development and economic growth. A separate 17,000 square foot Multicultural Senior Center houses the Office on Aging.

    Professional services was the second largest group in the region this week at 339 filings, and shared shop and lab space is one of the cheapest ways a new one gets started. Two new public buildings also need ongoing upkeep and supply.

    Who this helps

    • equipment and tool suppliers
    • training and workforce providers
    • commercial cleaning companies
    • IT support companies
    • small batch manufacturers

    Orange County Government Newsroom, 2026-07-29

So what

What it means

The pool of new businesses here is smaller than it was a year ago, so working the same Orange County prospect list will feel harder this quarter. The growth has moved west and north. Polk, Lake and Sumter added 75 filings between them while Orange lost 91. Anyone selling insurance, accounting, banking, signage or equipment should be quoting in Lakeland, Clermont and Davenport, not only Orlando. The public record points the same way. Polk moved 25.8 acres into industrial use and set a hearing on 17.1 acres of denser housing, and construction and trades filings held nearly flat at 218 while most other groups fell further. The building side of this economy is steadier than the headline number makes it look.

Methodology

How we counted

Why we report a few weeks later

Florida's official business records are often still being updated for up to two weeks after a business first registers.

To give those records time to fully settle, we report on a week of filings about three weeks after it happens. Reporting a little later lets us show complete, accurate numbers instead of a partial early count.

These counts come from Florida's official business registration records for the eight counties in Central Florida, covering new filings recorded the week of July 22 to 28, 2026. We wait about two weeks after a week ends for the state to finish recording every filing before we publish, so the counts here are complete and accurate. Each business is counted in the county listed on its registration, and filings are sorted into plain business categories.

External sources

  • Seminole County Board of County Commissioners (2026-07-14) Seminole County commissioners took up the Henderson Hill rezone. It moves about 4.32 acres at W SR 46 and Henderson Lane from A-1 agriculture to C-1 retail commercial for three restaurants. The same agenda carried the Slavia Station rezone for a coffee shop and a historical building renovation on about 1.45 acres.
  • Polk County Board of County Commissioners (2026-06-16) Polk County adoption hearings covering about 25.8 acres moving from Business Park Center to Industrial, about 19.47 acres moving off Phosphate Mining, and about 1.35 acres moving to Office Center-X.
  • Polk County Board of County Commissioners (2026-07-07) Polk County set adoption hearings on about 17.1 acres moving to a denser residential sub district and about 3.87 acres moving to Community Activity Center-X.
  • Seminole County Development Review Committee (2026-05-27) Seminole County reviewed a site plan for an industrial storage yard on 11.18 acres in the M-1 zoning district at Hickman Dr and James Wesley Ln.
  • Port Canaveral (Canaveral Port Authority) (2026-08-06) Port Canaveral began a $95 million expansion and renovation of Cruise Terminal 10, more than 145,000 square feet, with PCL Construction Services, Inc. of Orlando as contractor and completion set for November 2027.
  • Port Canaveral (Canaveral Port Authority) (2026-07-01) Port Canaveral is investing $5.2 million in a commercial fishing working waterfront with 125 feet of bulkhead and a 16 slip dock, due to finish in early 2027.
  • Orange County Government Newsroom (2026-07-29) Orange County opened a new Innovation Center of more than 20,000 square feet with a makerspace and robotics and computer labs, plus a 17,000 square foot Multicultural Senior Center.

Frequently asked questions

Are these counts final, or will they go up later?
They are final. We wait about two weeks after the week closes so the state can finish recording every filing, then we publish. The number does not get revised upward afterward.
Why is the region down when four counties grew?
Orange County is much larger than the rest of the region. It lost 91 filings by itself, and the region lost 60. Gains in Polk, Lake, Sumter and Seminole covered part of that gap, but not all of it.
Which parts of Central Florida are growing right now?
Polk, Lake and Sumter. Polk added 42 filings to reach 424, Lake added 23 to reach 195, and Sumter added 10 to reach 50. Among cities, Davenport, Clermont and Lakeland all moved up the list.
What kind of business forms most often here?
Property holding companies led the week at 351 filings, and professional services came next at 339. Those are the two largest groups in the region.
Is construction slowing down as well?
Barely. Construction and trades filings came in at 218, down 3 from the week before. That is close to flat in a week when most other groups fell further.

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