Lee County executives have positive outlook

FORT MYERS — Nearly three-quarters of business executives in Lee County expect the economy to improve over the next year, according to a recent survey by Florida Gulf Coast University.

In the survey of nearly 100 business executives in Lee County, 64% of executives polled say they expect economic conditions to improve for their industry over the next year, and 72% expect the broader economy to improve over that time period.

To accommodate the expected growth, 44% say they plan to hire more staff this year while 9% say they plan to reduce employment.

The survey also shows that 52% of companies in Lee County plan to increase business investments in the year ahead while only 6% plan a decrease.