July 12, 2026 — Northwest Florida (Panhandle & Capital) new business activity

Northwest Florida recorded 493 new businesses the week of June 21 to 27, 2026, a slower week that still left a steady pool of new owners to reach.

Bay County led the region with 94 new businesses, and it was one of the few areas that grew. Panama City drove that gain, rising to 65 new businesses, up 15 from the week before. Most of the rest of the coast slowed. Okaloosa County fell to 71, down 42. Walton County fell to 46. Crestview dropped to 13.

The week came in 113 below the prior week and 37 below the same week last year. That sits under the recent pace of about 586 a week. It was the first down week in the recent stretch, so read it as a quiet few days, not a change in direction.

Professional services stayed the largest group at 66 new businesses. Construction followed at 49, and real estate at 46. Two everyday sectors grew even in a down week. Finance and insurance rose to 39, and retail rose to 30.

Wholesale and distribution stood out. It had 9 new businesses, up from 3, and well above its normal pace of about 3 a week. A cluster of new distributors points to demand for warehouse space, freight, and last mile delivery.

Property holding and asset protection companies were 63 of the week's new businesses, about 1 in 8. Nine of those were tied to short term or vacation rentals. That keeps steady work for real estate services, property management, insurance, and cleaning across the coastal counties.

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 2,500 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.

Wholesale Trade grew the most this week, 6 more (up 200.0%). Professional, Scientific & Technical Services dropped the most, 16 fewer (down 19.5%).

Bay led the region this week with 94 new filings. 1 other county also grew from the week before.

• ASC Ventures 1, LLC is seeking Major Development approval on 9.973 acres in the Heavy Industry zoning district at 730 and 732 Highway 231 in Panama City. A near 10 acre industrial site lines up with the wholesale and distribution jump, and creates work for industrial construction and trades, warehousing and freight, and equipment suppliers. City of Panama City Planning Board, 2026-05-11
• GE/Front Beach, LLC and Blu Onx North Florida, LLC are seeking Large Site Development approval on about 29.2 acres at 12610 Front Beach Road in Panama City Beach. A 29.2 acre commercial site on the beach parkway means work for site and civil contractors, commercial real estate and leasing, and the retail and hospitality tenants and suppliers that follow. City of Panama City Beach Planning Board, 2026-06-10
• Williams International is building the first phase of a 1,000,000 square foot gas turbine engine manufacturing plant at the Shoal River Industrial Park near Crestview, a $1.04 billion investment expected to create 336 jobs. A million square foot plant under construction feeds general and specialty construction, equipment and materials suppliers, freight and logistics, and staffing and worker housing near Crestview. One Okaloosa EDC, 2026-05-18
• Okaloosa County commissioners heard the conceptual master plan for River Park, a phased 392 lot single family subdivision on about 263 acres in the Crestview area, proposed by River Park Landing, LLC. A 392 lot subdivision creates work for homebuilders, site and utility contractors, surveyors and engineers, residential real estate and title and insurance, and building materials suppliers. Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners, 2026-05-05
• The Santa Rosa County Commission's June 22, 2026 rezoning agenda includes a request to rezone a 2.39 acre parcel at 6108 Chumuckla Highway in Pace from Rural Residential to commercial use. A residential to commercial rezoning opens work for commercial site development and trades, small business tenants, and real estate and land use professionals. Santa Rosa County Board of County Commissioners, 2026-06-22
• The Walton County Commission approved a final order for a 104 room Holiday Inn Express hotel on about 2.57 acres on the north side of US Highway 98 West near Mussett Bayou. A new 104 room hotel means work first for site and building contractors, then steady demand for hotel staffing, linen and laundry services, food and beverage suppliers, landscaping, and maintenance vendors once it opens. Walton County Board of County Commissioners, 2026-06-30
• The Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency in Tallahassee took up a request for $375,000 in economic development funds to help Neighborhood Medical Center open an in house pharmacy at its South Monroe Street location. The project brings $213,628 in private investment and 7 new full time jobs. Opening a new clinic pharmacy creates work for commercial build out and fit out trades, plus staffing for the new jobs and steady orders for medical and pharmacy suppliers, IT, and insurance services. Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency, 2026-06-11

Even in a slower week, the work pipeline in Northwest Florida points up, not down. The biggest signals are in construction and site work. In Panama City, a heavy industry site and a beachfront commercial site are moving through review. In Walton County, commissioners approved a new 104 room hotel on US Highway 98. In Okaloosa County, the Williams International engine plant under construction near Crestview and a proposed 392 lot subdivision point to steady demand for builders, trades, real estate, and the services new workers use. These plans create the same kinds of local work: site and building construction, freight and warehousing, and the accounting, insurance, and staffing those projects and new residents buy. The new businesses forming this week, in professional services, finance and insurance, retail, and property holding, are the local firms lined up to serve all of it. For a service provider, Bay County and Okaloosa County are the places to reach out first this week.

These counts come from new business filings recorded with the state for the 16 counties of Northwest Florida for the week of June 21 to 27, 2026. We wait about two weeks for the state to finish recording filings, so the counts are complete. Industry groups follow standard categories. The developments noted here come from county and city government records and local economic development announcements, each linked to its official source.