Introducing Punta Gorda
Centrally located between Sarasota to our North and Fort Myers to our South, Punta Gorda is a delightful location within a comfortable driving distance from Tampa, Orlando, and Miami.
As the only incorporated city of Charlotte County, Florida, Punta Gorda is the vibrant engine of the area. It boasts wonderful restaurants, marinas, and a pace of life that people from around the world come to enjoy.
The City offers businesses a year-round clientele, which is made up of local, domestic, and international customers. It is also responding to the industry as commerce realizes the importance of our location as Southwest Florida continues to boom and grow. We offer a diverse commercial arena; however, distribution services, construction, design, retail, hospitality and tourism, health services, life sciences, and real estate are the largest industry sectors.
Awards & Notables
- Bloomberg: Most Economic Growth Next Year
- Forbes: 100 Best Small Places for Business and Careers (#67)
- One of the Best Places to Live in the South; a successful, sustainable town
- One of the Best Boating Towns
- Kipplinger Rating (and also FL is #2 in Best Places to Retire – see tab/page 10)
- Safe City Rating
- Downtown Farmer’s Market ranked 15th in the USA for best small market
- 40 Best Commuter Cities in Florida (#34)
- One of the Top 10 Festival Cities in the Southern US
- Read Florida Accolades
- Fla. No. 7 ‘tax-friendly’ state for wealthy clients
Prominent Industries in Punta Gorda
Tourism (Ecotourism, Events & Festivals)
Health Care
Education
Retail
Avionics
Transportation & Distribution
Information Technology
Arts
Dining
Marinas, Yacht Sales, Marine Supplies
Financial Services
Recreation & Sports
Why Come to Florida?
Competing in today’s global market can present challenges. Your business location shouldn’t be one of them. That’s why Florida has created a business-friendly environment to enable companies like yours to grow quickly. READ THE BLOOMBERG REPORT
- Business Climate: Florida’s business-friendly legislature, favorable tax climate, and large market help your business get up-and-running quickly.
- Infrastructure: From road to rail, to airports, seaports and spaceports, Florida will get your people, products and ideas to the world – fast.
- Trade: Leverage Florida’s strategic, global location and international trade expertise and gain success and access to foreign markets.
- Workforce: Find the talent your business needs now in Florida’s deep and diverse talent pool of more than 9.5 million.
- Quality of Life: Achieve work-life balance in the state that’s known for great weather, recreation and culture – and also offers the affordable cost of living that allows you to enjoy it all.
We Promote Local Buying
The focus of our Punta Gorda Chamber of Commerce is to promote local business. By working together with local businesses and by promoting residents to buy local, studies have shown a significantly higher proportion of dollars spent stay in the community versus purchases made at non-locally owned businesses.
Infographic on the advantages of Buying Local
(Economic studies on Buy Local)
Other Interesting Links
- Locate To Paradise website (local generic real estate info)
- Florida’s Innovative Coast website (includes a great video of our Punta Gorda Interstate Airport Park!)
What Local Business Owners Say
I located my business here because I recognized that Punta Gorda had what I felt were 3 key features. First, there was the opportunity to start small and grow as the town grew. Next I discovered that local residence recognized and supported local businesses. And lastly, I wanted a place that offered the quality of life I desired for myself and my family. June, Creative Window Treatments
I located my business in Punta Gorda because of the business community and the friendly business owners willing to help promote one another to be successful. Our small town, one-on-one relationships that are developed year after year is important to the community and the economy of our area. Linda, A to Z Marketing, Inc.
Why we brought our businesses to Punta Gorda: the number of thriving businesses in the community, the PG Chamber who has been instrumental in offering unique networking experiences and promoting buying from local business sources. Our business has done well and we LOVE the Punta Gorda & Charlotte County area! Candee, CeJay Associates, LLC & John, Gulick Associates, Inc.
I moved my business to Punta Gorda to work in a friendly environment with the high quality of life. Della, Time Realty
Florida is Ranked 17th in the Nation
Did you know, Florida is ranked 17th in the nation for innovation and entrepreneurship? As Florida continues to expand its innovation economy, businesses nationwide are starting to take notice. There is an increasing amount of attention being paid to Florida from outside investors, who are looking for a pipeline of innovation.
By making strategic and targeted investments in infrastructure, developing a global talent supply, and creating more opportunities for businesses, our state is creating a climate where small business, families and our economy can thrive.
Punta Gorda Plans for the Future
Punta Gorda plans for future: Punta Gorda is not your typical Southwest Florida town — there’s no beach to draw tourists, no mini-mansion, no tax-generating building trend, no Dunk City basketball.
But this city of about 20,000 shines among every municipality in the state when it comes to preparing for climate change and sea level rise. Punta Gorda is listed as one of the most progressive cities in the world in the 2014 National Climate Assessment, an inter-agency effort that grew out of the Global Change Research Act of 1990.
…”In part, Punta Gorda is a real community and their leadership on the city council is drawn from people who are really working and living in that community,” Beever said. “…You see a lot of volunteerism in the community, and they actively talked about ‘what are we going to do. Are we going to rebuild? Are we going to do it better and how are we going to do it better?’”