July 25, 2026 — North Central Florida (Gainesville & Ocala) new business activity

North Central Florida recorded 352 new business filings the week of July 4 to 10, up from the week before but still below both last year and the region's recent pace.

Two counties accounted for almost all of the activity this week. Marion County had 167 new filings and Alachua County had 105. Together they made up about 77% of the region. Ocala led every city with 135, and Gainesville followed with 69. Outside those two metros the pace stayed light. Columbia and Suwannee had 17 each, and Levy had 15.

The week was a step up from a slow stretch. The prior week's 301 filings were the lowest in three months, so this week's gain is a rebound off a low point, not a new high. Filings are still running below the region's recent pace of about 397 a week, and they came in below the 382 logged the same week last year. Over the last 13 weeks the count has eased a little.

Service businesses led the mix. Property holding and asset protection companies topped the list at 43, then personal and other services at 41 and professional services at 33. A few groups jumped from the week before. Hospitality and tourism rose 13 to 31. Administrative and support services rose 9 to 30. Transportation and logistics rose 6 to 17. Construction and trades added 4 to reach 24. Some groups slipped, with professional services, real estate, and agriculture each down for the week.

The kinds of business forming this week line up with what is being built and approved nearby. A downtown dining corridor, freshly zoned industrial land, new housing, and a large planned development all point to steady demand for the building trades, staffing, cleaning, and freight firms that serve them.

Very little decline 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 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.

Hospitality & Tourism grew the most this week, 13 more (up 72.2%). Real Estate dropped the most, 6 fewer (down 31.6%). Several smaller sectors also grew.

Marion led the region this week with 167 new filings. Gains were broad, with 3 other counties also up from the week before.

• The Ocala City Council took up an ordinance to rezone about 283.55 acres west of Interstate 75 and north of SW 66th Street. The change would move the land from a planned unit development to a planned development under Case PD25-0007. A tract this size, about 283 acres, means a long run of work for site clearing and earthmoving crews, concrete and paving contractors, and the utility installers, surveyors, and engineers who lay out a new development. As tenants arrive they hire commercial cleaners, landscapers, and security, and they sign up local accounting, insurance, and legal help. City of Ocala City Council, 2026-05-05
• Marion County's development review committee reviewed a major site plan for an eight unit multifamily building at 351 Marion Oaks Boulevard. A small multifamily build gives framing, plumbing, electrical, and roofing crews steady work, along with the concrete and landscaping subs. Once it is done, real estate and property management firms have new units to lease and keep up. Marion County Development Review Committee, 2026-07-13
• The Ocala City Council gave final approval to Ordinance 2026-16. It rezones about 1.25 acres in the 200 block of SW 27th Avenue from community business to light industrial, under Case ZON26-0001. Turning a parcel over to light industrial use makes room for a warehouse, distribution bay, or trades shop. That fits the rise in transportation and logistics filings this week, and it feeds contractors, freight operators, and the equipment and supply vendors who serve them. City of Ocala City Council, 2026-06-02
• The City of Gainesville reported that construction of The Streatery reached a milestone, with brick paver installation underway. The $4.5 million curbless corridor on SW First Avenue was approved in March 2026 and is expected to finish in October. It will add space for outdoor dining, festivals, and markets. A downtown dining and event corridor gives restaurants, cafes, and shops more room to serve customers outdoors. It points to demand for caterers, food vendors, event staffing, and the maintenance and landscaping crews that keep a public space running. Trade crews stay busy through the October finish. City of Gainesville, 2026-06-18
• The City of Newberry broke ground on a Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant at 26204 SW 18th Road that will remove nitrogen and phosphorus. It is built with the City of Archer and partners including the Suwannee River Water Management District, AtkinsRealis, Baker Water, and Wright-Pierce. The plant supports future growth, including the AgFoodTech Park. The plant means immediate civil and utility construction work. It also opens capacity for new commercial and farm-tech businesses to build in western Alachua County. The AgFoodTech Park it supports would draw agriculture, food processing, and related trades. City of Newberry, 2026-06-16
• Columbia County raised its private provider discount on building permit fees, effective July 1, 2026. Projects that use a private inspection provider now get 75% off, and projects that use both private plan review and inspection get 90% off, under Florida Statute 553.791. Cheaper permit fees lower the cost of building in Columbia County. That helps general contractors, home builders, and the private plan review and inspection firms that handle the work move projects faster. Columbia County Building Department, 2026-06-30
• Florida Gateway College in Lake City opened a renovated Welding Technology facility, a project of more than $1 million. It added 42 welding booths, new electrical and ventilation systems, and virtual reality training. Students can now earn up to 20 welding credentials. A bigger welding program feeds trained workers to manufacturers, metal fabricators, aviation maintenance shops, and construction trades around Lake City, the kind of skilled labor those employers say is hard to find. Florida Gateway College, 2026-07-20

For anyone selling to new businesses here, the week points to a few clear places to focus. Most new companies are forming in Marion and Alachua counties, so the Ocala and Gainesville metros hold the biggest pool of fresh prospects. The gains in hospitality, staffing, logistics, and building trades match the new dining space, industrial land, and residential and mixed projects moving ahead nearby. Firms that supply, service, or staff those new operations have the most to gain right now.

These counts come from Florida's official record of new business filings for the 13 counties in North Central Florida. We wait about two weeks after a week ends for the state to finish recording every filing, so the numbers here are complete and final. Businesses are grouped by the kind of work they do and by the county and city where they registered.

Frequently asked questions

Where were most new businesses registered this week?

Marion and Alachua counties, which together made up about 77% of the region's 352 filings. Ocala had 135 and Gainesville had 69.

Did new business activity go up or down?

It rose 16.9% from the prior week, but that week was the slowest in three months. Filings are still below last year's total for the same week and below the region's recent pace of about 397 a week.

Which kinds of business are growing fastest?

Hospitality and tourism, administrative and support services, and transportation and logistics had the biggest weekly gains. Property holding and personal services led on total count.