September 24, 2026 — Northeast Florida (First Coast) new business activity

• architects: City of Fernandina Beach
• commercial real estate brokers: JAXPORT
• custom home builders: City of Fernandina Beach
• customs brokers: JAXPORT
• electricians: Flagler County School District
• facility maintenance firms: Flagler County School District
• freight and logistics providers: JAXPORT
• freight forwarders: JAXPORT
• general contractors: Flagler County School District
• heavy haul truckers: JAXPORT
• HVAC contractors: Flagler County School District
• industrial equipment suppliers: JAXPORT
• irrigation specialists: City of Palm Coast
• landscapers: City of Palm Coast
• masonry and millwork specialists: City of Fernandina Beach
• plumbers: City of Palm Coast
• preservation contractors: City of Fernandina Beach
• real estate agents: City of Fernandina Beach
• rigging and crane operators: JAXPORT
• roofers: Flagler County School District
• staffing agencies: JAXPORT
• utility auditors: City of Palm Coast
• warehouse builders: JAXPORT
• warehousing operators: JAXPORT
• water efficiency consultants: City of Palm Coast

Northeast Florida recorded 686 new business filings the week of September 3 to 9, down 25% from the week before and the first weekly decline after a long run of steady formation.

New business formation in Northeast Florida pulled back sharply the week of September 3 to 9. The region logged 686 new filings, down 229 from the prior week's 915 and down 194 from the same week a year ago. It is the first consecutive week of decline, and the week also came in below the 13 week average of 849.

The slowdown was broad rather than isolated. Professional services still led the region at 91 filings, but that was down 30% from the prior week. Construction and real estate tied at 62 each, both lower than the week before. A few pockets held their ground: retail stayed flat at 47, hospitality edged up to 41, and manufacturing rose to 12.

Duval County and Jacksonville still carry most of the volume, with 404 and 371 filings respectively, even as both fell by about a third. The clearest bright spot was Baker County, which jumped from 3 filings to 13, well above its usual pace of about 7 a week.

Even in a down week, the region's ports and coastal communities kept generating concrete work for local firms, including a Fernandina Beach permitting software rollout.

A steady slowdown over the past 13 weeks with a dip this past week pulling the average down.

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 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.

Professional Services dropped the most this week, 39 fewer (down 30.0%).

Duval led the region this week with 404 new filings.

• JAXPORT's cargo blog lays out five reasons global businesses pick Jacksonville for distribution operations: the region's population growth, its strategic location, its transportation network, a modern seaport with global connections, and a skilled workforce.

  Jacksonville's pitch to distribution and logistics operators keeps drawing new warehouse and freight activity, which means steady work for the firms that build, staff, and service those operations.

  Who this helps

  • warehouse builders
  • freight and logistics providers
  • staffing agencies
  • commercial real estate brokers
  • industrial equipment suppliers

  JAXPORT, 2026-08-07

• JAXPORT is promoting its heavy-lift and breakbulk gateway, including on-dock warehousing and multimodal access, and inviting shippers to its exhibit at Breakbulk Americas 2026 in Houston.

  A port pushing heavy-lift and breakbulk cargo means more oversized freight moving through Jacksonville, which creates work for rigging and crane operators, trucking firms, and the warehousing and customs brokers that handle the loads.

  Who this helps

  • rigging and crane operators
  • heavy haul truckers
  • warehousing operators
  • customs brokers
  • freight forwarders

  JAXPORT, 2026-09-08

• Flagler County School District published its budget summary, notice of proposed tax increase, and notice of tax for school capital outlay, with the ads posted online July 25, 2026.

  A school district moving capital outlay dollars through its budget signals upcoming school construction and maintenance work, which opens bids for general contractors, roofing, HVAC, and the trades that keep school buildings running.

  Who this helps

  • general contractors
  • roofers
  • HVAC contractors
  • electricians
  • facility maintenance firms

  Flagler County School District, 2026-07-25

• The City of Palm Coast announced utility rates for water, wastewater, stormwater, and solid waste will adjust effective October 1, 2026, with water and wastewater rates increasing by 5.1%.

  A 5.1% rise in water and wastewater rates raises operating costs for every business in Palm Coast, which puts a premium on the plumbers, irrigation specialists, and efficiency consultants who can help firms cut their water use.

  Who this helps

  • plumbers
  • irrigation specialists
  • water efficiency consultants
  • utility auditors
  • landscapers

  City of Palm Coast, 2026-09-23

• The City of Fernandina Beach Commission adopted the Historic District Design Guide at its July 21, 2026 Regular Meeting, the guide's first update since 2013.

  A refreshed historic district design guide sets new rules for renovations and new builds in Fernandina Beach's historic core, which means work for architects, preservation contractors, and builders who know how to meet the updated standards.

  Who this helps

  • preservation contractors
  • architects
  • custom home builders
  • masonry and millwork specialists
  • real estate agents

  City of Fernandina Beach, 2026-07-31

For anyone selling to new businesses in Northeast Florida, this week is a reminder that the volume is concentrated in Jacksonville and Duval County, even as the overall pace cooled. The region's ports are still marketing hard for distribution and breakbulk cargo, and the coastal communities of Flagler and Nassau are generating permitting and utility work. Professional services, construction, and real estate firms chasing new accounts should keep their focus on Duval, while contractors and trades that can move fast on public works and permitting changes have a clear opening in the smaller counties.

These counts come from Florida's official business filing records for the week of September 3 to 9, 2026. We wait about two weeks after a week ends for the state to finish recording all of its filings, so the counts are complete and accurate. The figures cover the seven counties of Northeast Florida: Baker, Clay, Duval, Flagler, Nassau, Putnam, and St. Johns.

Frequently asked questions

How many new businesses formed in Northeast Florida this week?

686 new business filings were recorded the week of September 3 to 9, 2026, down 25% from the prior week's 915.

Which county saw the most new filings?

Duval County led with 404 filings, more than half the region's total, with Jacksonville alone accounting for 371.

Which industries are forming the most new businesses?

Professional services led at 91 filings, followed by property holding at 84 and construction and trades at 61.

Why does the report wait about two weeks before counting a week?

We wait about two weeks for the state to finish recording all of its filings, so the counts are complete and accurate rather than a partial snapshot.