Welcome To SWFLECFoundation.org

History

In 1988 the City of Fort Myers opened the Business Development Center at 3901 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. on the site of the old Starlite Drive In movie theatre. Utilizing the existing 12,000 square feet of office and warehouse space on the site the City launched a business incubator where entrepreneurs with business ideas in the light industrial, warehouse, assembly and service areas could have a physical location for their business along with the technical support necessary for a new business to develop. In 2008 40,000 square feet of new facilities were built and the incubator was renamed the Southwest Florida Enterprise Center to more clearly express the regional impact of the business incubation taking place.

Facility

The Southwest Florida Enterprise Center is located on an 8 acre site on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. in Fort Myers, Florida. The new facility, completed in 2008, includes 40,000 square feet of buildings including 30,000 square feet of leaseable warehouse space, 15 leaseable offices, 2 conference rooms, a work room with shared use office equipment and a training room that can hold up to 65 persons. Additional land on the site has future potential to house a 30,000 square foot office building.

Board members

A Board of distinguished and influential professionals has been seated to direct activity of the Foundation. Board members are:

Kenneth O’Donnell – Chair (Bank of America)
Jerry Hemmer – Vice Chair (Alliance Financial Group)
Melinda Pensinger – Treasurer (Tuscan and Associates)
Jeff Green (T3 Communications)
Richard Sapp (Source of Light and Hope Development Center)
Bert Hamilton (Harvey Software)
Arthur Rubens (Florida Gulf Coast University)