 Two world-class golf courses designed by PGA legends take center stage at the TwinEagles community in Naples. [Photo: Bonita Bay Group] |
A solid workforce, excellent infrastructure, superior educational options and pro-growth government units combine to create a welcoming business climate in Southwest Florida. This region is truly international, with a heavy contingent of overseas visitors and more than 30 foreign-affiliated companies. Additionally, 600+ technology businesses call Southwest Florida home.
Choice Location
Florida’s Southwest encompasses more than 100 miles of exquisite Gulf beachfront. Some of the world’s best shelling can be found on the renowned resort islands of Sanibel and Captiva, just off Fort Myers. And the sunny, subtropical climate spawns boating, fishing, golfing, tennis and other outdoor activities year-round. The National Golf Foundation ranks Lee County, with its more than 50 golf courses, 5th in the U.S. for golfer-to-holes ratio.
In This Region: Major Public Firms
- Bonita Springs-based homebuilder WCI Communities
- Magazine distributor Source Interlink (which in 2007 spent $1.2 billion to buy the publishing firm responsible for Hot Rod and Motor Trend magazines), also in Bonita Springs
- Women’s clothier Chico’s FAS of Fort Myers
- Health Management Associates, a Naples-based owner of 8,500 hospital beds in 15 states. Sixteen HMA hospitals are in Florida, including five in the Southwest region
Fastest Growing MSAs in the U.S. 3rd — Cape Coral-Fort Myers Population up 29.6% (Between 2000 and 2006) 7th — Naples-Marco Island Population up 25.2% (Between 2000 and 2006) $49k — Average annual income of Naples-Marco Island, making it one of the state’s wealthiest MSAs. |
Lee County
Biotechnology Core
 “If I’d put my company in, say, New Jersey, I would not have been able to recruit my top management people.” — Edmundo Muniz, M.D., Ph.D., Tigris Pharmaceuticals [Photo: Jeffrey Camp] |
Edmundo Muniz, M.D., Ph.D., started Tigris Pharmaceuticals in Southwest Florida in 2005, and has raised nearly $28 million to develop drugs. His A-007 compound, which treats a pre-cancerous cervical condition caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV), is currently in Phase II testing.
“I could have put our small, nimble company anywhere,” says Muniz, a former Eli Lilly executive. But he picked Bonita Springs in Lee County. Why? “Number one, I feel Florida will become a hub for biotechnology companies.”
The beauty, culture and booming economy of Southwest Florida have huge appeal, too, says Muniz, who swims, bikes and runs often. His wife and daughter sing with the Naples Opera, and his sons have landed great jobs. “We offer our staff the opportunity to work where people take their vacations,” says Muniz. “We’re five minutes from the beach. We have a great arts community. The weather is extraordinary. If I’d put my company in, say, New Jersey, I would not have been able to recruit my top management people.”
Elsewhere in Lee County
- Two massive retail projects — Gulf Coast Town Center and the Coconut Point Mall — offer a combined total of more than 3.1 million square feet of retail space; both are located in Estero.
- A $285-million expansion program slated for completion in mid-2008 at Lee Memorial Health System’s Gulf Coast Hospital will increase the facility to more than 550,000 square feet, including expanded emergency and surgery departments.
Charlotte County
Ready to Assist
Charlotte County is a fast-growth area with plentiful amenities and a business-friendlyattitude. A newly created Industrial Development Authority stands ready to assist in financing certain projects via revenue bonds, some of which may be tax-free.
Airport is focal point
 A new FedEx World Service Center is among many businesses that have located in the Enterprise Zone at the Charlotte County Airport. |
Nearby, the 370-acre Airport Commerce Park just east of I-75 is the result of a development agreement among the Charlotte County Airport Authority, the county commission and Southwest Land Developers. “We’re meeting an amazing pent-up demand for industrial and distribution space,” says Southwest Vice President Bruce Laishley. End users are “a big mix,” he adds. “We’re getting construction companies, cabinet makers, medical folks, food industry distribution people, lumber, paint and truss companies, you name it. We’re building the property tax base and helping bring in high-paying jobs, too.”
Projects: Recent Developments
- The new $19-million Charlotte County events center currently under construction along the Peace River in downtown Punta Gorda is slated for completion in late 2008.
- The Tampa Bay Devil Rays major league baseball team will move its Spring Training home to Charlotte County Sports Park in 2009. In preparation, the stadium is undergoing a $27-million renovation, which includes additional seats and a new 40,000-square-foot office/clubhouse building.
New Schools Readied
 A $200-million insurance settlement helped build a new Punta Gorda Middle School to replace the one lost to Hurricane Charley. |
One of the largest school rebuilding efforts in Florida history has spurred unprecedented economic development in Florida’s Southwest region. Perhaps nowhere is the building boom more evident than in Charlotte County, where the public school system is opening three new schools in late 2007. Another three, including Charlotte High School, are under construction.
The school district’s massive rebuilding program is not the result of a sudden increase in student enrollment. Rather, it has been necessitated by the damage an unwelcome visitor named Charley wreaked on nearly 1 million square feet of school, warehouse and other space in August 2004.
 |
The Category 4 storm, which came ashore at Charlotte Harbor packing winds of 145 mph, cut a swath across the Florida peninsula before exiting into the Atlantic Ocean near Daytona Beach. Several sites in Southwest Florida sustained damage, but Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda and surrounding Charlotte County took the biggest punch.
But no sooner had the storm passed, than the rebuilding began. Now that it’s winding down, school officials can afford to reflect a little more positively on their experience.
“In some ways, the storm did us a favor by allowing the older schools to be replaced,” says school superintendent David Gayler. “We’ll be up to code, have better technology.” Thanks to Charley, he adds, “We’re able to provide a much, much better setting for students to come to each morning.”
Collier County
Faster Permits
 "The Phil" in Naples offers a full yearly calendar of dance, opera, music and Broadway-style productions. [Photo: Naples Philharmonic] |
Thanks to a fast-track regulatory program created by the Economic Development Council of Collier County in conjunction with local government, permitting times are cut in half. Ready access to tax refund and credit programs, employee training and many state and local incentives also help to foster business growth.
Banks mean business
Banking remains a particularly strong industry sector for Naples. Orion Bank, the largest independent community bank in Southwest Florida with assets of more than $2 billion, is headquartered here. A vibrant tourist destination, Naples is also drawing interest from business travelers. Such major corporations as Deutsche Bank and Johnson & Johnson have held recent corporate meetings here.
Looking inland
In eastern Collier County, the Immokalee area — “international gateway to Florida’s Heartland” — is enjoying rapid commercial development. Florida Tradeport, a 500-acre industrial park at the Immokalee Regional Airport, offers duty-deferral and customs services for import-export firms.
Collier Enterprises is planning a 25,000-resident development near Ave Maria, the university/town mixed-use project led by Michigan native and Domino’s Pizza founder Tom Monaghan. Ave Maria, which will include some 11,000 homes, plus retail and commercial space, opened another new section in 2007.
Committed to the arts
The Naples Philharmonic Orchestra celebrated its 25th anniversary in March 2007, exemplifying the community’s commitment to the arts. The orchestra’s home base is the Philharmonic Center for the Arts, which includes two theaters and four art galleries. Opened in 1983, “The Phil” hosts upwards of 400 events annually and, with a staff topping 400, is a leading regional employer. Patrons have made more than 200,000 donations to the Philharmonic Center, the Naples Orchestra and the Naples Museum of Art.
Flight Connections
Southwest Florida encompasses just three counties, and every one of them has at least one airport.
- Southwest Florida International Airport (Fort Myers):
“Gateway to Florida’s Gulf Coast” and the 8th fastest-growing airport in the U.S. Recently completed a $438-million expansion and is on track for a record 8 million+ passengers in 2007. Offers flights to 35 domestic destinations and several international destinations. - Page Field general aviation airport (Fort Myers):
Managed by the Lee County Port Authority and offering a Foreign Trade Zone. Boasts new hangars and ramp space; terminal and taxiway upgrades under way. Home to more than 300 jets, turboprops, twins, singles and helicopters. - Naples Municipal Airport:
Self-proclaimed “best little airport in the country.” Offers general aviation, plus two flights daily to Atlanta via Delta Connection and Yellow Air Taxi service to Key West. - Charlotte County Airport (Punta Gorda):
Two 5,000-foot runways, one 6,500-foot runway, jet fuel and aviation gas, an automated surface weather station, many T-hangars, ample tie-downs and other amenities. Does not currently offer scheduled commercial airline service, but is actively pursuing that possibility.
Campus Growth
Florida Gulf Coast University near Fort Myers, which opened in 1997 and now has 9,000 students, continues to grow. Recently, FGCU began offering a pre-med program in tandem with the Tampa-based University of South Florida. FGCU is building the Whitaker School of Engineering, launched by a $5-million gift from the Whitaker Foundation, and the university plans to establish a satellite campus in Charlotte County. In fall 2007, FGCU joins Division 1 athletics as part of the Atlantic Sun Conference.
In mid-2007, FGCU began building its new $20-million, 62,000-square-foot Lutgert College of Business building. Slated for completion in late 2008, Lutgert Hall will include a trading room and state-of-the-art communications.
New programs and $11.3 million in new construction will soon be coming to Edison College’s Collier campus. Plans call for a 10,000-square-foot early childhood education center and a 20,000-square-foot building to house much-needed classroom and high-tech laboratory space as well as a pediatric dental facility that will provide specialized care for the area’s Medicaid-eligible children as part of the University of Florida College of Dentistry’s Statewide Network for Community Oral Health.
Resources
Universities/Colleges
• Ave Maria University
• Florida Gulf Coast University
• Hodges University
Community Colleges
• Edison College
Airports
• Charlotte County Airport
• Naples Municipal Airport
• Southwest Florida International Airport