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Hendry County
is located east of Ft. Myers and south of Lake Okeechobee. The county seat is La Belle. Citrus, mainly oranges and grapefruit, and vegetable growing drive the county’s economy. Until the late 1940s, LaBelle, and nearly all of Hendry County, was owned by cattlemen. Cattle ranches began to downsize and range land gradually turned to farmland. Since 1986, citrus plantings in the county have more than doubled, from 40,000 to more than 90,000 acres. Today, Hendry has more than 15 million citrus trees, more than any other Florida county. (St. Lucie County has 12 million while Polk county has 11 million.) Hendry is third in citrus acreage with 100,000 acres. St. Lucie County has 107,000 acres while Polk county has 104,000 acres.
In 2004 retail trade was the largest of 20 major sectors in Hendry County. It had an average wage per job of $20,461. Per capita income declined by 12.1% between 1993 and 2003 (adjusted for inflation).
Businesses moving into the area may be eligible for the following incentives.
Ad Valorem Tax Exemption
ENTERPRISE ZONE Credits
i. Jobs Tax Credit - (Sales Tax)
ii. Jobs Tax Credit - (Corporate Income Tax)
iii. Property Tax Credit - (Corporate Income Tax)
iv. Business Equipment Sales Tax Refund
v. Building Materials Sales Tax Refund
vi. Space Alliance Technical Outreach Program (SATOP)
The Hendry County Economic Development Council is the office to contact for your business relocation or expansion needs in Hendry County. They work in conjunction with the Hendry County Board of Commissioners, the City governments of LaBelle and Clewiston and both LaBelle and Clewiston Chambers of Commerce.
To Contact the Hendry County Economic Development Council, Inc.
P.O. Box 2518
La Belle, FL 33975
863-675-6007
Fax: 863-675-8696
Email: info@hendrycountyedc.com
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