NewBiz Alert Southeast Florida (Gold Coast, Treasure Coast & Keys) weekly brief
August 17, 2026 — Southeast Florida (Gold Coast, Treasure Coast & Keys) new business activity
By NewBiz Alert, for the week of July 27 to August 2, 2026, from Florida Division of Corporations filings. How we built this.
New formations
6,128
vs prior week
+6.5%
vs same week last year
+1.1%
13 week average
6,205
Which of these applies to you
- commercial contractors: Business Development Board of Palm Beach County, Fort Lauderdale Downtown Development Authority, City of Fort Lauderdale City Commission
- staffing agencies: Business Development Board of Palm Beach County, Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance
- accountants: Business Development Board of Palm Beach County
- aircraft maintenance firms: Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance
- business attorneys: Business Development Board of Palm Beach County
- commercial cleaners: Business Development Board of Palm Beach County
- commercial insurers: Indian River County Chamber of Commerce
- commercial real estate agents: City of Fort Lauderdale City Commission
- concrete and masonry contractors: Business Development Board of Palm Beach County
- electricians: Business Development Board of Palm Beach County
- engineering firms: Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance
- food distributors: Fort Lauderdale Downtown Development Authority
- food service providers: Business Development Board of Palm Beach County
- freight and logistics firms: Business Development Board of Palm Beach County
- health care staffing firms: Business Development Board of Palm Beach County
- heavy equipment operators: Business Development Board of Palm Beach County
- hospitality staffing firms: Fort Lauderdale Downtown Development Authority
- industrial suppliers: Business Development Board of Palm Beach County
- insurance brokers: Business Development Board of Palm Beach County
- marketing agencies: Indian River County Chamber of Commerce
- medical equipment suppliers: Business Development Board of Palm Beach County
- pest control suppliers: Indian River County Chamber of Commerce
- precision machining shops: Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance
- property managers: City of Fort Lauderdale City Commission
- restaurant equipment suppliers: Fort Lauderdale Downtown Development Authority
- retail fit-out firms: City of Fort Lauderdale City Commission
- sign and awning companies: Fort Lauderdale Downtown Development Authority
- technical training providers: Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance
- uniform and linen services: Business Development Board of Palm Beach County
- vehicle and equipment dealers: Indian River County Chamber of Commerce
Southeast Florida recorded 6,128 new business formations the week of July 27 to August 2, up 6.5% from the week before.
The gain was spread across the region rather than carried by one county. Professional services stayed the biggest slice, with 947 formations, 15.5% of the week and up 117 from the week before. Finance and insurance grew the fastest of any major sector, up 26.9% from 212 to 269.
Miami-Dade led the region with 2,965 formations, nearly half the total. Broward followed with 1,593 and Palm Beach with 1,178, up 11.3%. Indian River County grew the fastest of any county, up 29.7% from 64 to 83. Boca Raton climbed two spots to become the third busiest city.
This week's gain is a rebound, not a new high. The 13 week total is still falling, and the week sits right at the 13 week average of 6,205. Two smaller sectors ran far above their usual pace: educational services rose 39.2% to 103, and manufacturing rose 27.9% to 78.
The trend
How the region is trending
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 business formation usually runs highest around Mar and is quietest around Dec, holding near 27,500 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
Professional Services grew the most this week, 116 more (up 14.0%). Real Estate dropped the most, 12 fewer (down 4.6%). 8 other sectors shown here also grew.
| Sector | Last week | This week | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property Holding & Asset Protection | 974 | 1,064 | +90 (+9.2%) |
| Professional Services | 828 | 944 | +116 (+14%) |
| Administrative & Support Services | 404 | 435 | +31 (+7.7%) |
| Healthcare | 418 | 421 | +3 (+0.7%) |
| Retail | 358 | 383 | +25 (+7%) |
| Hospitality & Tourism | 353 | 361 | +8 (+2.3%) |
| Construction & Trades | 350 | 360 | +10 (+2.9%) |
| Transportation & Logistics | 277 | 293 | +16 (+5.8%) |
| Real Estate | 262 | 250 | -12 (-4.6%) |
| Finance & Insurance | 148 | 197 | +49 (+33.1%) |
Where
Busiest places this week
Miami-Dade led the region this week with 2,965 new filings. Every other county shown here was also up from the week before.
| Top counties | Last week | This week | Change | Rank move |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Dade | 2,785 | 2,965 | +180 (+6.5%) | Held at #1 |
| Broward | 1,539 | 1,593 | +54 (+3.5%) | Held at #2 |
| Palm Beach | 1,058 | 1,178 | +120 (+11.3%) | Held at #3 |
| St. Lucie | 144 | 159 | +15 (+10.4%) | Held at #4 |
| Top cities | Last week | This week | Change | Rank move |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami | 1,603 | 1,772 | +169 (+10.5%) | Held at #1 |
| Fort Lauderdale | 230 | 281 | +51 (+22.2%) | Held at #2 |
| Boca Raton | 225 | 250 | +25 (+11.1%) | Up 2, from #5 |
| West Palm Beach | 229 | 245 | +16 (+7%) | Down 1, from #3 |
Notables
Standouts this week
Educational services ran far above its usual pace
Educational services rose to 103 formations, up 39.2% from 74 the week before. That is well above the sector's normal weekly pace, which points to new tutoring, training, and instruction businesses forming across the region.
Manufacturing picked up sharply
Manufacturing rose 27.9% from 61 to 78 formations, also well above its usual pace. New production and fabrication businesses are forming, in step with the region's growing advanced manufacturing base.
Around the region
Local context
Palm Beach County's Business Development Board reported that 25 companies chose the Palm Beaches this year, bringing 1,421 new careers.
Twenty-five relocating and expanding companies means a steady stream of new tenants and employers to serve, from office fit-out and staffing to the accounting, insurance, and legal work each new operation needs.
Who this helps
- commercial contractors
- staffing agencies
- accountants
- insurance brokers
- business attorneys
Universal Health Services opened the Alan B. Miller Medical Center, a $430 million, seven-story, 365,000 square foot hospital with 156 private patient rooms on a 34 acre campus in Palm Beach Gardens, anticipating about 800 jobs.
A hospital this size creates years of work for the firms that build, equip, and supply it, and about 800 new jobs that feed nearby housing, retail, and services.
Who this helps
- medical equipment suppliers
- commercial cleaners
- uniform and linen services
- food service providers
- health care staffing firms
The Business Development Board highlighted the Glades Region of western Palm Beach County, citing FINFROCK's $36 million precast concrete facility in Belle Glade among the most significant recent private-sector investments there.
A $36 million manufacturing build in Belle Glade feeds construction and site work now, then ongoing supply, logistics, and maintenance once the plant runs.
Who this helps
- concrete and masonry contractors
- heavy equipment operators
- freight and logistics firms
- industrial suppliers
- electricians
Space Florida and Broward County Public Schools are launching the Space Florida Academy, enrolling 951 students across nine Broward high schools, as Broward's aviation and aerospace sector grew to 626 companies in 2025, up from 588 in 2020.
A growing aerospace sector with a new training pipeline means more maintenance, repair, and overhaul work, and more skilled workers entering the local labor pool for those firms to hire.
Who this helps
- aircraft maintenance firms
- technical training providers
- precision machining shops
- engineering firms
- staffing agencies
The Fort Lauderdale Downtown Development Authority reported 11 new restaurants opening on or near Las Olas Boulevard, pedestrian foot traffic up 19% since 2021 to more than five million annual visits, and a Rolex flagship store approved for Weston Jeweler.
Eleven new restaurants and a luxury retail flagship mean build-outs, kitchen equipment, food supply, and staffing, plus more foot traffic for every nearby business.
Who this helps
- restaurant equipment suppliers
- commercial contractors
- food distributors
- hospitality staffing firms
- sign and awning companies
Vero Beach-based Clements Pest Control acquired Knockout Mosquito Misting, expanding its mosquito-control program across Indian River, St. Lucie and Brevard counties.
A growing local service company taking on new territory means more vehicles, equipment, and technicians, and more demand for the suppliers and services that support a field operation.
Who this helps
- vehicle and equipment dealers
- pest control suppliers
- marketing agencies
- commercial insurers
The Fort Lauderdale City Commission approved a rezoning at 221 SE 12 Avenue from a residential multifamily district to a Community Business district, allowing 0.14 acres of commercial flex space with 20,337 square feet of retail and 11,816 square feet of office use.
A rezoning that clears more than 32,000 square feet of retail and office space means build-out work now and new storefronts and offices to serve once it opens.
Who this helps
- commercial contractors
- retail fit-out firms
- property managers
- commercial real estate agents
So what
What it means
This week's rebound, led by professional services and a sharp rise in finance and insurance, means a bigger pool of new businesses to reach across the Gold Coast and Treasure Coast. The cited developments show where the demand is concrete: a $430 million hospital and a $36 million manufacturing plant in Palm Beach County, a growing aerospace sector in Broward, and new restaurants and retail on Las Olas. Firms that build, equip, staff, and supply those projects are the ones best placed to act on this week's numbers.
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.
Counts come from Florida's official business registration records for the eight counties in Southeast Florida. We wait about two weeks after the week ends for the state to finish recording all filings, so the counts are complete and accurate.
External sources
- Business Development Board of Palm Beach County (2026-07-30) Palm Beach County's Business Development Board reported in its Q2 2026 Economic Intelligence Report that 25 companies chose the Palm Beaches this year, bringing 1,421 new careers.
- Business Development Board of Palm Beach County (2026-06-15) Universal Health Services opened the Alan B. Miller Medical Center, a $430 million, seven-story, 365,000 square foot hospital with 156 private patient rooms on a 34 acre campus in Palm Beach Gardens, anticipating about 800 jobs.
- Business Development Board of Palm Beach County (2026-07-28) The Business Development Board highlighted the Glades Region of western Palm Beach County, citing FINFROCK's $36 million precast concrete facility in Belle Glade among the most significant recent private-sector investments there.
- Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance (2026-07-27) Space Florida and Broward County Public Schools are launching the Space Florida Academy, enrolling 951 students across nine Broward County high schools, as Broward's aviation and aerospace sector grew to 626 companies in 2025, up from 588 in 2020.
- Fort Lauderdale Downtown Development Authority (2026-08-03) The Fort Lauderdale Downtown Development Authority reported 11 new restaurants opening on or near Las Olas Boulevard, pedestrian foot traffic up 19% since 2021 to more than five million annual visits, and a Rolex flagship store approved for Weston Jeweler.
- Indian River County Chamber of Commerce (2026-07-21) Vero Beach-based Clements Pest Control acquired Knockout Mosquito Misting, expanding its mosquito-control program across Indian River, St. Lucie and Brevard counties.
- City of Fort Lauderdale City Commission (2026-06-02) The Fort Lauderdale City Commission approved a rezoning at 221 SE 12 Avenue from a residential multifamily district to a Community Business district, allowing 0.14 acres of commercial flex space with 20,337 square feet of retail and 11,816 square feet of office use.
Frequently asked questions
- How many new businesses formed in Southeast Florida this week?
- 6,128 new business formations were recorded the week of July 27 to August 2, up 6.5% from the week before.
- Which county had the most new businesses?
- Miami-Dade led with 2,965 formations, followed by Broward with 1,593 and Palm Beach with 1,178.
- Which industries grew the fastest?
- Finance and insurance grew 26.9%, the fastest of any major sector. Educational services rose 39.2% and manufacturing rose 27.9%, both far above their usual pace.
- Is this a new high for the region?
- No. This week's gain is a rebound after a soft stretch. The 13 week total is still falling, and the week sits right at the 13 week average.
Reach the new Southeast Florida (Gold Coast, Treasure Coast & Keys) businesses from this week
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