The Spirit of 76

A glance at the first ten entries on this year's list of regional revenue provides a snapshot of Southwest Florida’s industry trends. Healthcare and building-related companies dominate the top 10, but while six of them show gains from the previous year, the three companies in construction and development had sharp revenue drops from the previous year.

For all the building industry’s woes, however, WCI Communities, Kraft Construction (which was recently acquired by the national Manhattan Construction Group) and Stock Development held on to top-10 spots. Many more, in spite of losses from the previous year, are also among the region’s 76 top companies, ranked by their most recent fiscal year’s gross revenues, totaling at least $15 million. In fact, companies tied to the homebuilding industry again outnumber others on the list, from concrete and steel contractors to flooring, landscape and furniture businesses.

Many other companies thrived in the past year, defying the economic slump, including auto dealers, manufacturers, banks and retailers.

A few private construction and development companies that have made the cut in past years, such as The Jack Parker Corp., fell short this time, while Bonita Bay Group, First Home Builders/K. Hovnanian and some of the other more prominent development and construction companies chose not to reveal their local financial situations. This list is compiled from information provided by privately held companies and from public information where it’s available.

The list has only a few newcomers this year, including Smart Payroll Solutions, although Better Roads Inc., Spectrum Contracting and GCM Contracting are some that have returned after a hiatus.