The Florida 500 is a special section highlighting the 500 most influential executives in different economic sectors across the state. There are a number of businesses you can start in Florida which has immense potential to grow country-wide. It's not one of these … According to a public-private partnership named Enterprise Florida, the state has a great reputation for being America’s one of the most friendly states for starting small businesses. PAGE GO. This immense, year-long research initiative by the editors of Florida Trend has resulted in a personal, engaging look at Florida's most influential business leaders. Florida is a well-known state of the United States of America with a total population of around 21.31 million. 1 - 10 of 250. Nineteen Southwest Florida firms made Inc. magazine's inaugural 2020 list of the state's 250 most successful companies. That left us with 1,886 companies. As it turns out, Publix looks to the be the biggest company in Florida clocking in with 191,000 employees. While tourism remains one of the most important industries contributing a major portion to the economy of Florida, several industries have grown over time.. From different food services to healthcare to consumer goods, here are the top 15 profit-making businesses you can do in Florida. We then ranked each company from most to least current employees to determine the biggest companies in Florida. Explore the list for more on the Florida companies, industries, and cities that are thriving most. Now, check out how the 100 biggest companies in Florida ranked.