Central Florida Business News, a Florida Authority Network™ news website, covers business, economic development, real estate, tourism, aerospace, healthcare, agriculture, technology, and industry news across Central Florida, from Gainesville in the north to Arcadia and Lake Placid in the south. Our coverage area includes thirteen counties: Alachua, Marion, Sumter, Lake, Polk, Highlands, Hardee, DeSoto, Volusia, Seminole, Orange, Osceola, and Brevard. These counties are linked by Interstate 75, Interstate 4, Interstate 95, Florida’s Turnpike, and US 441, and they share a workforce, supply chain, customer base, and commute patterns, so we treat the region’s business news as one local story.
Our Coverage Area at a Glance
We report on the businesses, employers, developers, and decision-makers in these counties and communities:
Alachua County: Gainesville, Alachua, High Springs, Newberry, Archer, Micanopy, Hawthorne, Waldo, and La Crosse
Marion County: Ocala, Belleview, Dunnellon, Reddick, McIntosh, Citra, Anthony, Fort McCoy, Silver Springs, Silver Springs Shores, Marion Oaks, Summerfield, Weirsdale, Ocklawaha, Sparr, and Lowell
Sumter County: The Villages, Wildwood, Bushnell, Webster, Coleman, Center Hill, Lake Panasoffkee, and Oxford
Lake County: Leesburg, Eustis, Tavares, Mount Dora, Clermont, Minneola, Groveland, Mascotte, Montverde, Umatilla, Lady Lake, Fruitland Park, Howey-in-the-Hills, Astatula, Altoona, Astor, and Okahumpka
Polk County: Lakeland, Winter Haven, Bartow, Haines City, Lake Wales, Auburndale, Davenport, Mulberry, Fort Meade, Frostproof, Dundee, Eagle Lake, Lake Alfred, Polk City, Lake Hamilton, Babson Park, Alturas, and Loughman
Highlands County: Sebring, Avon Park, Lake Placid, and Placid Lakes
Hardee County: Wauchula, Bowling Green, Zolfo Springs, and Ona
DeSoto County: Arcadia, Nocatee, and Fort Ogden
Volusia County: Daytona Beach, Daytona Beach Shores, Ormond Beach, Holly Hill, South Daytona, Port Orange, Ponce Inlet, New Smyrna Beach, Edgewater, Oak Hill, DeLand, Deltona, DeBary, Orange City, Lake Helen, Pierson, and Cassadaga
Seminole County: Sanford, Lake Mary, Heathrow, Longwood, Altamonte Springs, Casselberry, Winter Springs, Oviedo, Geneva, Chuluota, and Fern Park
Orange County: Orlando, Downtown Orlando, Winter Park, Maitland, Apopka, Ocoee, Winter Garden, Windermere, Oakland, Edgewood, Belle Isle, Eatonville, Lake Nona, Dr. Phillips, MetroWest, Pine Hills, Horizon West, Lake Buena Vista, Bay Lake, Zellwood, and Christmas
Osceola County: Kissimmee, St. Cloud, Celebration, Harmony, Poinciana, Buenaventura Lakes, Narcoossee, Intercession City, Campbell, and Yeehaw Junction
Brevard County: Melbourne, Palm Bay, Titusville, Cocoa, Cocoa Beach, Rockledge, Merritt Island, Cape Canaveral, Satellite Beach, Indian Harbour Beach, Indialantic, Melbourne Beach, West Melbourne, and Malabar
North Central Florida: Alachua and Marion Counties
Gainesville anchors the northern edge of the coverage area, with the University of Florida, UF Health, and Santa Fe College driving research, healthcare, and employment. Alachua and the surrounding communities are home to a growing life sciences and biotechnology cluster, while High Springs, Newberry, and Archer add small business, agriculture, and residential growth.
Marion County is centered on Ocala, widely known as the Horse Capital of the World, where thoroughbred breeding, training, and equestrian events support farms, veterinarians, feed suppliers, and a large service economy. Ocala is also a growing center for distribution, manufacturing, and healthcare, and Belleview, Dunnellon, Silver Springs, and Marion Oaks add retail, residential, and small business growth along the Interstate 75 and US 441 corridors.
Sumter and Lake Counties
Sumter County is home to much of The Villages, one of the largest retirement communities in the country, which spans Sumter, Lake, and Marion counties and supports a large healthcare, retail, restaurant, and homebuilding economy. Wildwood sits at the junction of Interstate 75 and Florida’s Turnpike and has emerged as a logistics and distribution hub, and Bushnell and Webster reflect the county’s agricultural roots.
Lake County stretches from the Ocala National Forest to the edge of the Orlando metro area. Clermont, Groveland, and Minneola are among the fastest-growing communities in Central Florida, while Leesburg, Eustis, Tavares, and Mount Dora add healthcare, tourism, antiques and arts, and a lakefront small business economy. Citrus, nurseries, and farming remain part of the county’s heritage, and Lady Lake and Fruitland Park bring commerce tied to The Villages.
Greater Orlando: Orange, Seminole, and Osceola Counties
Orlando is the center of the region’s economy. Tourism is the largest driver, with Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, SeaWorld, Orlando International Airport, and the Orange County Convention Center supporting hotels, restaurants, attractions, and event businesses across three counties. Beyond tourism, Greater Orlando has a deep base in healthcare, higher education, simulation and training, defense, finance, and technology, supported by the University of Central Florida, Rollins College, Lake Nona Medical City, and the Central Florida Research Park.
Winter Park and Maitland add professional services and corporate offices, and Apopka, Ocoee, Winter Garden, and Horizon West are among the county’s fastest-growing areas for retail, homebuilding, and distribution. In Seminole County, Lake Mary, Heathrow, Sanford, Altamonte Springs, Longwood, and Oviedo are home to corporate offices, financial services, and technology firms, and Orlando Sanford International Airport adds passenger and cargo service.
Osceola County brings Kissimmee, St. Cloud, Celebration, and Harmony into the story, with tourism lodging along US 192, rapid residential growth, and a long-standing cattle and ranching tradition in the southern part of the county, including Yeehaw Junction at the county’s southern edge.
Polk County: Lakeland, Winter Haven, and the I-4 Corridor
Polk County ties the Orlando region to the Tampa Bay side of the state, and it is the gateway to the Heartland farm and ranch country farther south. Lakeland is its largest city and a headquarters town, home to Publix Super Markets, Lakeland Regional Health, Florida Polytechnic University, and Southeastern University. Lakeland Linder International Airport hosts the annual Sun ’n Fun aviation event and a growing aviation business base, and the city’s downtown and lake districts support a lively small business economy.
Winter Haven anchors the eastern side of the county with Legoland Florida, the Chain of Lakes, and Polk State College, along with a CSX intermodal terminal that makes the county one of Florida’s inland logistics centers. Haines City, Davenport, and Auburndale are growing along Interstate 4 and US 27 with distribution centers, housing, and retail, while Lake Wales, Frostproof, Bartow, Mulberry, and Fort Meade reflect the county’s long-standing citrus, cattle, and phosphate mining industries.
Highlands, Hardee, and DeSoto Counties: The Heartland
South of Polk County, the Heartland is ranch, grove, and farm country that supplies much of the state’s beef, citrus, and vegetables. Highlands County is centered on Sebring, home to Sebring International Raceway and its endurance race weekend, and on Avon Park, where South Florida State College and the Avon Park Air Force Range anchor education and military training. Lake Placid, known as the Caladium Capital of the World, and Highlands Hammock State Park add tourism and agriculture, and AdventHealth Sebring supports the county’s healthcare economy.
Hardee County, centered on Wauchula, is one of the state’s leading citrus, vegetable, and cattle areas and a center for phosphate mining, with agriculture supporting packers, equipment dealers, and trucking firms. DeSoto County, centered on Arcadia on the Peace River, blends citrus, cattle, and farming with an annual rodeo tradition and a historic downtown known for antiques shops. Together, these three counties connect Central Florida’s Polk County to the Gulf Coast and Lake Okeechobee regions.
Volusia and Brevard Counties: Daytona Beach to the Space Coast
Volusia County is known for Daytona Beach, Daytona International Speedway, and a tourism economy built around beaches, motorsports, and events. Daytona Beach is also home to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Daytona State College, DeLand is home to Stetson University, and Daytona Beach International Airport serves the region. Ormond Beach, Port Orange, and New Smyrna Beach add healthcare, marine, and small business activity, and Deltona and DeBary are among the county’s largest residential communities.
Brevard County is the Space Coast. Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, and Patrick Space Force Base anchor an aerospace and defense economy that includes launch providers, engineering firms, and suppliers, and Port Canaveral is one of the busiest cruise ports in the world. Melbourne is home to the Florida Institute of Technology and a large aerospace and electronics base, Palm Bay is the county’s largest city, and Titusville, Cocoa, Cocoa Beach, and Merritt Island add tourism, marine, and small business activity.
Business in Central Florida: What We Cover
Common themes in our reporting include:
- Tourism and hospitality: theme parks, resorts, restaurants, motorsports, events, and cruise
- Real estate and development: commercial, industrial, mixed-use, master-planned communities, and retirement living
- Aerospace and defense: space launch, aviation, simulation and training, and military contractors
- Healthcare and life sciences: hospital systems, physician practices, senior care, research, and biotechnology
- Technology and startups: software, simulation, photonics, and innovation districts
- Banking, finance, and insurance: banks, investment firms, insurers, and family offices
- Logistics and distribution: warehousing, trucking, airports, ports, and the Interstate 4, Interstate 75, and Turnpike corridors
- Agriculture and equine: cattle, citrus, nurseries, dairy, horse breeding, and the businesses behind them
- Construction and homebuilding: builders, contractors, suppliers, and permitting trends
- Legal and professional services: law firms, accountants, consultants, and insurers
- Small business and entrepreneurship: the restaurants, shops, contractors, and service providers that form the backbone of local economies
- Education and workforce: universities, colleges, and training programs that feed regional employers
About This Publication
Central Florida Business News is part of the Florida Authority Networkâ„¢, a collection of regional, industry, and video news publications and press release services dedicated to being a trusted source of business news across Florida. If your business is based in Alachua, Marion, Sumter, Lake, Polk, Highlands, Hardee, DeSoto, Volusia, Seminole, Orange, Osceola, or Brevard County and has news to share, we welcome the opportunity to tell your story.
