August 14, 2026 — Southwest Florida new business activity

• civil engineers: City of Marco Island Planning Board, Hardee County
• surveyors: DeSoto County, Hardee County
• architects: City of Marco Island Planning Board
• electricians: Hendry County
• excavation and paving crews: DeSoto County
• general contractors: Hendry County
• heavy equipment operators: DeSoto County
• home builders: Hardee County
• home remodelers: Hendry County
• land use attorneys: Hardee County
• landscapers: City of Marco Island Planning Board
• marine contractors: City of Marco Island Planning Board
• plumbers: Hendry County
• roofers: Hendry County
• site work contractors: Hardee County
• utility contractors: DeSoto County

Southwest Florida recorded 854 new business filings the week of July 24 to 30, down 5.9% from the week before and 12.3% below the same week last year.

Southwest Florida filed 854 new businesses the week of July 24 to 30, a step down from 908 the week before and 974 in the same week last year. The 13 week average has eased to 956, and the trailing 13 week total is now falling. This is the first consecutive week of decline in the current stretch, and the pullback is broad rather than tied to one county or one sector, which reads as a slower summer pace.

Two sectors moved against the grain. Retail added 14 filings to reach 73, up 23.7%, and health care rose 5 to 56, up 9.8%. Both are the kinds of businesses that follow rooftops and residents, so their rise is worth watching against the new building still moving through review across the region.

The growth this week is in the smaller counties. Highlands jumped 12 filings to 41, up 41.4%, DeSoto rose 4 to 14, up 40%, and Charlotte added 7 to 98, up 7.7%. Lee and Collier still lead the region with 452 and 223 filings, but they eased while the smaller counties climbed. Punta Gorda led the cities with 62 filings, up 16 from the prior week.

Construction filings fell 14 to 91, down 13.3%, and the construction and trades bucket sits at 90. That is a weekly move, not a stop in building. The public record across the region still shows rezoning, land use, and infrastructure work moving forward, which keeps site work and the trades that follow new development the clearest local opportunity.

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.

• 2025-26
• 2024-25
• 2023-24
• 2022-23
• 2021-22

New business formation usually runs highest around Jan and is quietest around Dec, holding near 4,000 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.

Retail grew the most this week, 14 more (up 23.7%). Personal & Other Services dropped the most, 19 fewer (down 23.5%).

Lee County led the region this week with 452 new filings.

• Hendry County opened an early notice and public review of a proposed CDBG-funded housing rehabilitation activity in a floodplain and wetland area, inviting public comment through August 7, 2026.

  A federally funded housing rehabilitation project means repair and renovation work on existing homes, which puts money into the hands of local contractors and the trades that do the actual work.

  Who this helps

  • home remodelers
  • general contractors
  • plumbers
  • electricians
  • roofers

  Hendry County, 2026-07-22

• The City of Marco Island Planning Board took up a reconsideration of Variance Petition VP-25-000096 for the Marco River Marina, covering minimum landscape requirements, design regulations, and solid waste disposal and recycling.

  A marina variance reconsideration signals continued investment in waterfront property, which feeds marine contractors, landscapers, and the design and engineering firms that support marina work.

  Who this helps

  • marine contractors
  • landscapers
  • civil engineers
  • architects

  City of Marco Island Planning Board, 2026-07-23

• Charlotte County's Kings Highway Widening Project will widen Kings Highway from Sandhill Boulevard to the DeSoto County line, replacing the roadway with a four-lane divided roadway with protected turn lanes, utility upgrades, street lighting, and a multi-use path.

  A road widening project is a sustained stream of public works spending, which means excavation, paving, and utility work for local contractors over the life of the job.

  Who this helps

  • excavation and paving crews
  • utility contractors
  • heavy equipment operators
  • surveyors

  DeSoto County, 2026-08-14

• The Hardee County announcements and notices page lists public notices and development announcements, including Ordinance 2026-04 (Comprehensive Plan amendment), Ordinance 2026-03 (Comprehensive Plan amendment for 114.5 acres), and Ordinance 2026-02 (rezone of 114.5 acres), all dated August 10, 2026.

  A 114.5 acre comprehensive plan amendment and rezone is a sizable land use change, which signals a large development pipeline and years of site work, surveying, and construction for local firms.

  Who this helps

  • site work contractors
  • surveyors
  • civil engineers
  • land use attorneys
  • home builders

  Hardee County, 2026-08-10

A softer filing week does not mean a quiet market. The 854 new businesses this week still give anyone selling to new companies a fresh pool of prospects, and the two sectors that grew, retail and health care, are exactly the ones that follow new residents and rooftops. The public record shows why the pipeline stays full: a 114.5 acre rezone in Hardee, a road widening in Charlotte, a marina variance in Marco Island, and a federally funded housing rehabilitation in Hendry all point to construction and site work ahead. The firms best placed to act this period are the builders, trades, surveyors, and land use professionals who get hired when these projects move from agenda to ground.

These counts come from Florida's state business filing records for the eight counties of Southwest Florida. We wait about two weeks after the week ends for the state to finish recording all of its filings, so the counts are complete and accurate. The industry and geography breakdowns are drawn from the same filing records, and the local developments are cited from the government agendas and notices that describe them.

Frequently asked questions

How many new businesses filed in Southwest Florida this week?

854 new businesses filed the week of July 24 to 30, 2026, down 5.9% from the prior week and 12.3% below the same week last year.

Which sectors grew this week?

Retail grew 23.7% to 73 filings and health care grew 9.8% to 56 filings, the two clear gainers in an otherwise softer week.

Which counties are growing fastest?

Highlands County grew 41.4% to 41 filings, DeSoto grew 40% to 14, and Charlotte grew 7.7% to 98, even as Lee and Collier eased.

Why do the counts lag the calendar?

We wait about two weeks after the week ends for the state to finish recording all of its filings, so the counts are complete and accurate rather than provisional.