Business growth continues near Punta Gorda Airport

Development surrounding the Punta Gorda Airport continues to grow with 2.5 million square feet already developed and 1.5 million square feet planned, according to Charlotte County Economic Development Director Dave Gammon. 

During a presentation to Charlotte County Airport Authority, Gammon provided an overview of new businesses, buildings and construction underway in the area. 

“Cheney Brothers put us on the map,” said Gammon. 

Because of Cheney Brothers food distribution company, the industrial areas surrounding the airport began to be known as a distribution hub. Cheney Brothers had to have a distribution center in Charlotte County to serve both the Tampa and Naples markets. 

Cheney Brothers built its 345,000–square–foot distribution center across Piper Road from the airport in 2015 and added an 82,000–square–foot expansion in 2021. 

Because of Cheney Brothers, FedEx built its 250,000-square-foot distribution facility near Piper Road, which opened in 2023 and has 400 employees, Gammon said. 

Enterprise Charlotte Airport Park, the industrial area surrounding PGD, has different sections, and building is commencing throughout the area. 

In 2021, a 120,000-square-foot spec building was erected, a first for the area. 

“From 2022 to 2023 we built more spec product than we did in the first 71 years” of the industrial area’s existence surrounding the airport, Gammon said. 

National developer SHA is building a spec facility at Piper and Duncan roads. 

Equus, also a national developer, built a 378,000–square–foot spec building costing the firm $50 million. Their first tenant was Dakota Premium Hardwoods, a Texas firm, which now occupies 72,000 square feet.  

“We’re working with them now to fill the remaining 360,000 square feet in that building,” Gammon said. 

Until now, Charlotte County didn’t attract national developers, Gammon said. 

Across the street from Equus is Capital Partners—a Wisconsin-based group, which primarily served Wisconsin and Minnesota. It is now building its second Florida facility—a 139,000–square–foot building near the airport. It also has a facility in Fort Myers. 

Lane Valente, a manufacturer of electric vehicle charging stations, committed to a 42,000–square–foot facility “plus they’re doing a 14,000–square–foot facility for big equipment rentals, and they’ve also got a 21,000–square–foot building they’re doing on a spec basis,” Gammon said. 

The King of Vape, which is building a 130,000–square–foot distribution facility, also is building another 130,000–square–foot building on a spec basis at the Punta Gorda Airport Commerce Center. 

“They just believe in this market so much,” Gammon said. 

When ABC Supply opened their 60,000–square–foot facility, it brought in a developer from Lee County, Seagate Development Group, which hadn’t had a presence in Charlotte County. 

Vestas aircoil A/S, a Danish firm that manufactures marine and aviation air cooling systems, occupied a 40,000–square–foot spec building. Then, the company planned a second phase and is building another 40,000–square–foot building, Gammon said. 

He said the attraction of a spec building is that a business can move right in and not have to hire a land broker, purchase land, hire an architect, engineer and then construct the facility. 

Balentine Builder Services out of Fort Myers outgrew its space and came to Punta Gorda to build a 65,000–square–foot facility for its custom cabinetry business, which will open this year. 

Coastal Water Filters has come to the industrial area, and Adams Warehousing, which bought its land years ago, is building a 120,000–square–foot manufacturing facility for windows and doors, he said. 

On the north side of the airport, a 30,000–square–foot facility for The Furniture Warehouse is also underway.