NewBiz Alert Northeast Florida (First Coast) weekly brief
August 20, 2026 — Northeast Florida (First Coast) new business activity
By NewBiz Alert, for the week of July 30 to August 5, 2026, from Florida Division of Corporations filings. How we built this.
New filings this week
939
week of Jul 30 - Aug 5
vs. prior week
+16.1%
up 130 from 809
vs. same week last year
+2.4%
up 22 from 917
13 week average
894
this week sits above it
Northeast Florida recorded 939 new business filings the week of July 30 to August 5, a 16.1% jump from the week before and the first increase after a run of down weeks.
Northeast Florida added 939 new business filings the week of July 30 to August 5, up 130 from the prior week's 809. That 16.1% gain is the first increase after a stretch of down weeks, and it lands above the 13 week average of 894. The rebound follows a low base: the week before was the region's weakest in the recent series.
The gain is broad but concentrated in the firms that support other businesses. Administrative and support services rose 29 to 85, management of companies rose 29 to 82, real estate and rental rose 24 to 84, and transportation and warehousing rose 18 to 58. Construction rose 15 to 87. These are the sectors that follow building, hiring, and property activity.
Property holding and asset protection is the single biggest slice at 124 filings, up 37 from the prior week, a 42.5% jump. That is ahead of professional services at 118. A small slice of those holdings, five, are short term rental entities.
Every county rose this week, but the smaller ones grew fastest. Flagler jumped 27 to 92, a 41.5% gain, and Palm Coast rose 19 to 73. Clay rose 18 to 98 and St. Johns rose 17 to 129. Duval still dominates at 559, up 55, but the growth is spreading beyond Jacksonville into the surrounding counties.
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 Nov, 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.
The week
What is forming
Property Holding & Asset Protection grew the most this week, 37 more (up 42.5%). Personal & Other Services dropped the most, 7 fewer (down 10.4%). 6 other sectors shown here also grew.
| Sector | Last week | This week | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property Holding & Asset Protection | 87 | 124 | +37 (+42.5%) |
| Professional Services | 107 | 118 | +11 (+10.3%) |
| Construction & Trades | 72 | 87 | +15 (+20.8%) |
| Administrative & Support Services | 55 | 85 | +30 (+54.5%) |
| Hospitality & Tourism | 70 | 67 | -3 (-4.3%) |
| Retail | 66 | 67 | +1 (+1.5%) |
| Personal & Other Services | 67 | 60 | -7 (-10.4%) |
| Transportation & Logistics | 40 | 58 | +18 (+45%) |
| Healthcare | 46 | 45 | -1 (-2.2%) |
| Real Estate | 35 | 42 | +7 (+20%) |
Where
Busiest places this week
Duval led the region this week with 559 new filings. Every other county shown here was also up from the week before.
| Top counties | Last week | This week | Change | Rank move |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duval | 504 | 559 | +55 (+10.9%) | Held at #1 |
| St. Johns | 112 | 129 | +17 (+15.2%) | Held at #2 |
| Clay | 80 | 98 | +18 (+22.5%) | Held at #3 |
| Flagler | 65 | 92 | +27 (+41.5%) | Held at #4 |
| Nassau | 23 | 28 | +5 (+21.7%) | Held at #5 |
| Top cities | Last week | This week | Change | Rank move |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville | 466 | 526 | +60 (+12.9%) | Held at #1 |
| Palm Coast | 54 | 73 | +19 (+35.2%) | Held at #2 |
| Saint Augustine | 37 | 56 | +19 (+51.4%) | Up 1, from #4 |
Notables
Standouts this week
Arts and entertainment runs above its usual pace
Arts, entertainment and recreation came in at 36 filings, well above its normal pace of about 24. It is the one sector flagged as unusually high this week. The count is small enough that a single batch could move it, but it is worth watching as a possible sign of new venues, studios, and recreation businesses forming.
Around the region
Local context
CareSpot Urgent Care, working with Baptist Health, is opening a new Roosevelt (Ortega) urgent care center at 4461 Beverly Avenue in Jacksonville, with the opening set for July 23, 2026.
A new urgent care center means build-out and fit-out work up front, then ongoing demand for medical supplies, cleaning, and the professional services a clinic runs on.
Who this helps
- medical office contractors
- medical supply vendors
- commercial cleaners
- staffing agencies
- health care providers
Gateway Jax revealed the first retail lineup for Vandeveer, the first mixed-use residential building at the heart of Pearl Square in Downtown Jacksonville's Urban Core, anchoring a new walkable retail and dining destination.
A mixed-use residential building with a retail and dining lineup creates work for the trades that build it, then steady demand from the shops and restaurants that lease the space and the services their tenants need.
Who this helps
- commercial contractors
- electricians
- plumbers
- restaurant suppliers
- property management companies
- retail fit-out crews
Avant Construction Group, a Jacksonville commercial general contractor, acquired Ladson Construction effective July 16, 2026, expanding its reach across Northeast Florida and the Southeast.
A larger general contractor with more reach means more subcontracting and supplier work flowing through the region as it takes on bigger jobs.
Who this helps
- subcontractors
- material suppliers
- equipment rental firms
- surveyors
- civil engineers
Lucky Goat Coffee is expanding across Florida through franchise locations and opening a new Bartram Park cafe in Jacksonville, with a grand opening on July 23.
A growing franchise footprint means new cafe build-outs and ongoing supply, equipment, and staffing needs at each location.
Who this helps
- commercial contractors
- coffee and food suppliers
- equipment vendors
- staffing agencies
- sign companies
Comcast opened its newest Xfinity Store at 9301 Atlantic Boulevard, Suite 101 in Jacksonville, its sixth store in the city.
A new retail storefront means build-out work, then ongoing demand for the services that keep a retail location running.
Who this helps
- retail fit-out crews
- commercial cleaners
- security firms
- sign companies
- property management companies
Ability Housing and United Way of Northeast Florida received a combined $650,000 in capacity-building grants from JPMorganChase to grow affordable housing infrastructure in Jacksonville.
New funding for affordable housing infrastructure points to future construction and the trades and services that follow new housing.
Who this helps
- home builders
- electricians
- plumbers
- roofers
- real estate agents
Ascension St. Vincent's Riverside partnered with Florida State University College of Medicine to sponsor its Family Medicine Residency Program and Family Medicine-Obstetric Fellowship, expanding physician training in Jacksonville.
A larger physician training pipeline means more clinical staff and the support services a growing medical program needs.
Who this helps
- health care providers
- medical supply vendors
- staffing agencies
- medical office contractors
The City of Jacksonville announced that S&P Global and KBRA reaffirmed top-tier AA ratings with a stable outlook for its 2026 special revenue bonds, citing a $7 billion public and private development pipeline.
A $7 billion development pipeline means years of construction, site work, and the professional services that large public and private projects carry.
Who this helps
- commercial contractors
- civil engineers
- surveyors
- material suppliers
- business attorneys
The City of Jacksonville announced that beginning Monday, August 24, the Main Street Bridge will undergo lane and pedestrian walkway closures as part of the Riverfront Plaza Main Street Bridge Nub Removal Project, led by the Department of Public Works and contractor The Haskell Company.
A bridge removal project means heavy construction and traffic control work, plus the suppliers and crews that support a public works job.
Who this helps
- heavy construction crews
- traffic control firms
- material suppliers
- equipment rental firms
The City of St. Augustine approved changes to its Vehicles for Hire and Franchise ordinances. The change creates a second tier franchise for tour businesses with 11 or fewer passengers, and it caps pedicab operators at 15 total. The new rules took effect July 23, 2026.
A new franchise tier for small tour operators opens the market to more sightseeing and shuttle businesses, which need vehicles, insurance, and marketing.
Who this helps
- tour operators
- shuttle services
- insurance brokers
- vehicle dealers
- marketing agencies
FDOT's $19.9 million seawall replacement project along State Road A1A in St. Augustine, from the Bridge of Lions to Charlotte Street, is scheduled to begin the week of June 15 and finish in fall 2027.
A $19.9 million seawall replacement is a multi-year marine construction job that feeds heavy civil work, materials, and the crews that support it.
Who this helps
- marine contractors
- heavy construction crews
- material suppliers
- civil engineers
- surveyors
The City of Fernandina Beach is advancing its Marina Redevelopment Project and secured an additional $2 million in state funding for seawall construction.
A marina redevelopment with new seawall funding means marine construction, site work, and the businesses that serve a rebuilt waterfront.
Who this helps
- marine contractors
- heavy construction crews
- civil engineers
- material suppliers
- landscapers
The City of Fernandina Beach is migrating its Building, Planning & Conservation, and Utilities departments to the CityView permitting software, with a go-live date of Monday, August 31, 2026.
A new permitting system changes how builders and contractors file, so firms that help navigate permits and software stand to gain work.
Who this helps
- permit expeditors
- software consultants
- general contractors
- civil engineers
Flagler County reported that FDOT announced overnight lane closures on State Road A1A at Camino Del Mar for traffic signal work, with one lane remaining open while flaggers direct alternating traffic.
Traffic signal work means electrical and roadway construction, plus the traffic control crews that keep a lane open during the job.
Who this helps
- traffic control firms
- electrical contractors
- roadway construction crews
- material suppliers
So what
What it means
This week's rebound is built on the firms that serve other businesses: administrative support, management companies, real estate, and transportation all jumped, and construction kept climbing. For anyone selling to new businesses here, that means a bigger pool of prospects this week, and the cited developments show where the demand is concrete. A $7 billion Jacksonville development pipeline, a $19.9 million St. Augustine seawall, and a Fernandina Beach marina redevelopment all point to years of construction and site work, while new clinics, cafes, and storefronts keep feeding the trades and services that follow them. Contractors, suppliers, and the professional services that support them are the ones best placed to act on it now.
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 new business filings for the seven counties of Northeast 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.
External sources
- JAX Chamber (2026-07-25) CareSpot Urgent Care, in partnership with Baptist Health, announced the upcoming opening of its new Roosevelt (Ortega) urgent care center at 4461 Beverly Avenue, Jacksonville, FL 32210, opening July 23, 2026.
- JAX Chamber (2026-07-23) Gateway Jax revealed the initial retail lineup for Vandeveer, the first mixed-use residential building at the heart of Pearl Square, anchoring a new walkable retail and dining destination in Downtown Jacksonville's Urban Core.
- JAX Chamber (2026-07-21) Avant Construction Group, a Jacksonville-based commercial general contractor, announced the acquisition of Ladson Construction effective July 16, 2026, expanding its capabilities across Northeast Florida and the Southeast.
- JAX Chamber (2026-07-17) The JAX Chamber member news page announces that Lucky Goat Coffee is expanding throughout Florida through franchise locations and is opening a new Bartram Park cafe in Jacksonville, with a grand opening on July 23rd.
- JAX Chamber (2026-07-01) Comcast celebrated the grand opening of its newest Xfinity Store at 9301 Atlantic Boulevard, Suite 101 in Jacksonville, marking its 6th store in the city and expanding its retail presence in Duval County.
- JAX Chamber (2026-06-17) Ability Housing and United Way of Northeast Florida received a combined $650,000 in capacity-building grants from JPMorganChase to grow affordable housing infrastructure in Jacksonville.
- JAX Chamber (2026-06-23) Ascension St. Vincent's Riverside has partnered with Florida State University College of Medicine to sponsor its Family Medicine Residency Program and Family Medicine-Obstetric Fellowship, expanding physician training capacity in Jacksonville.
- City of Jacksonville (2026-08-13) The City of Jacksonville announced that S&P Global and KBRA reaffirmed top-tier 'AA' ratings with a stable outlook for its 2026 special revenue bonds, citing strong fiscal management, a fast-growing economy, storm resilience, and a $7 billion public and private development pipeline.
- City of Jacksonville (2026-08-07) The City of Jacksonville announced that beginning Monday, August 24, the Main Street Bridge will undergo lane and pedestrian walkway closures as part of the Riverfront Plaza Main Street Bridge Nub Removal Project, led by the Department of Public Works and contractor The Haskell Company.
- City of St. Augustine (2026-07-17) The City of St. Augustine announced that on July 13, 2026 its City Commission approved changes to the Vehicles for Hire and Franchise ordinances. The change creates a second tier franchise for tour businesses with 11 or fewer passengers, and it caps pedicab operators at 15 total. The new rules took effect July 23, 2026.
- City of St. Augustine (2026-06-12) The City of St. Augustine news flash reports that FDOT's $19.9 million seawall replacement project along State Road A1A from the Bridge of Lions to Charlotte Street is scheduled to begin the week of June 15 and be complete in fall 2027.
- City of Fernandina Beach (2026-07-20) The City of Fernandina Beach's news flash announces its Marina Redevelopment Project with a dedicated Marina Redevelopment Webpage, and a related item reports the city secured an additional $2 million in state funding for seawall construction.
- City of Fernandina Beach (2026-08-10) The City of Fernandina Beach is migrating its Building, Planning & Conservation, and Utilities departments to the CityView permitting software, with a go-live date of Monday, August 31, 2026.
- Flagler County (2026-08-07) Flagler County officials report that FDOT has announced overnight (10 p.m. to 6 a.m.) lane closures on State Road A1A at Camino Del Mar for traffic signal work, with one lane remaining open while flaggers direct alternating traffic.
Frequently asked questions
- How many new businesses filed in Northeast Florida this week?
- 939 new business filings were recorded the week of July 30 to August 5, up 130 from the prior week.
- Which sectors grew the most?
- Administrative and support services and management of companies each rose 29, while real estate and rental rose 24 and transportation and warehousing rose 18.
- Which counties are growing fastest?
- Flagler grew fastest at 41.5%, followed by Clay at 22.5% and St. Johns at 15.2%. Duval still leads in total filings at 559.
- Why do the counts lag the calendar by about two weeks?
- 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.
Reach the new Northeast Florida (First Coast) businesses from this week
Get the real filings, with addresses and officers, free for 7 days. No credit card required.
Start your free trial