July 11, 2026 — North Central Florida (Gainesville & Ocala) new business activity

North Central Florida recorded 261 new business filings the week of June 20 to 26, 2026.

Two kinds of business still grew in a slow week. Professional, scientific and technical services led with 44 new filings, up from 34. Company management followed with 32, up from 23. Both give local service firms a bigger pool of new owners to reach.

Most other sectors pulled back from the prior week. Real estate and rental and leasing fell to 16 from 35. Administrative and support services dropped to 20 from 35. Finance and insurance came in at 10, down from 25. Retail trade also landed at 10, down from 23. This was the region's slowest week in three months and the third in a row to slip.

Marion County stayed the region's engine with 129 filings, most of them in Ocala at 114. Alachua County came in at 67, well below its usual pace, with Gainesville at 48. Columbia County held near steady at 24. Union County was one of the few areas to gain, with 7 filings against its usual pace of about 3.5, most of them in Lake Butler.

The pipeline of new projects moving through Ocala and Marion County lines up with the county producing nearly half the region's new businesses. City and county records this month show new commercial and home ground being prepared. That points to steady work ahead for builders, trades and the service firms that support new owners.

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 1,500 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.

Professional, Scientific and Technical Services grew the most this week, 10 more (up 29.4%). Real Estate and Rental and Leasing dropped the most, 19 fewer (down 54.3%).

Marion led the region this week with 129 new filings. 1 other county also grew from the week before.

• The Ocala City Council passed the TBMI Commercial Outparcel Development conceptual subdivision, a commercial subdivision of seven lots and two tracts totaling 35.01 acres on planned development land, filed by TBMI II, LLC. A seven lot commercial subdivision on 35.01 acres readies pad sites in Ocala. Site work, paving and utility crews get the first jobs, then the accountants, insurers and other service firms new tenants hire. That fits the 44 professional services filings that led the region this week. City of Ocala (Legistar), File 2026-1645, 2026-07-07
• The Ocala City Council passed the Mockingbird Ridge conceptual subdivision, a single family residential subdivision of 493 lots on 169.38 acres, filed by Boyd Development LLC. A 493 lot single family subdivision on 169.38 acres cleared the Ocala City Council. Homebuilders, electricians, plumbers and landscapers get years of work. New rooftops then pull in retail and personal services for the residents. City of Ocala (Legistar), File 2026-1646, 2026-07-07
• A major site plan for a Tractor Supply store near North US Highway 27 and West Highway 326 is in review before the Marion County Development Review Committee, filed by Dynamic Engineering. A new farm and ranch store is in review near US Highway 27 and West Highway 326 in Marion County. Building it means site work and construction jobs, then retail hiring and local suppliers once it opens. Marion County Development Review Committee (Legistar), File 2026-23544, 2026-07-06
• A major site plan for a Fifth Third Bank facility in the Mulberry area of The Villages was filed with the Marion County Development Review Committee. A new bank branch is planned in the Mulberry area of The Villages in Marion County. It brings construction work now and finance jobs later, and gives nearby small businesses another lender close by. Marion County Development Review Committee (Legistar), File 2026-23543, 2026-07-01
• A major site plan for the Belleview Substation, a utility substation filed by SECO Energy, Inc., was submitted to the Marion County Development Review Committee. A new electric substation is planned near Belleview in Marion County. Electrical and site contractors build it, and the added power capacity supports the homes and businesses forming in Marion, the region's busiest county at 129 this week. Marion County Development Review Committee (Legistar), File 2026-23617, 2026-07-09
• A five story Hampton Inn and Suites with 123 guest rooms broke ground at the intersection of US Highway 129 and Interstate 10 in Suwannee County, a $20 million project. A five story, 123 room hotel broke ground where US Highway 129 meets Interstate 10 in Suwannee County, a $20 million project. Construction crews build it now. Once open it needs front desk, housekeeping and maintenance staff, plus linen, laundry and food suppliers. Suwannee County Economic Development Office, 2026-05-01
• A major site plan for a self storage facility at 9494 Summerfield was filed with the Marion County Development Review Committee by Radcliffe Engineering. A self storage facility is in review in the Summerfield area of Marion County. It is a construction job first, then a small ongoing draw for local trades and property management once built. Marion County Development Review Committee (Legistar), File 2026-23614, 2026-07-09

The week was quiet, but the work is not drying up. Professional services and company management both grew, so service firms have more new owners to reach. Marion County stayed the busiest by far, and the commercial and home projects moving through Ocala point to steady demand for builders, trades and the firms that serve new businesses. A slow filing week is a good week to get in front of the owners who did file.

These counts come from Florida's official business filing records for the week of June 20 to 26, 2026. We wait about two weeks before publishing so the state can finish recording that week's filings, so the totals here are complete. Counts cover new business registrations across the counties of North Central Florida.