Driftwater Loans, a small-business funding service in Fort Myers, Florida, explains equipment financing for Lee County businesses: gym and fitness equipment, food trucks, landscaping and heavy equipment, dental equipment, and leasing compared with buying.
At a glance
- Construction employer establishments, Lee County, FL
3,887 (CBP 2023)
- Landscaping services employers
546 (CBP 2023)
- Dental practices with paid employees
261 (CBP 2023)
Gym and Fitness Equipment: Financing Options in Fort Myers, FL
Treadmills, racks, cable machines and studio bikes wear out on a schedule, which makes them a fit for equipment loans and leases. Lee County, FL had 76 fitness and recreational sports centers with paid employees in 2023, employing 851 people (CBP 2023, NAICS 713940).
Partners will want the dealer quote, whether the gear is new or used, and the gym's membership deposits. Leasing suits gear you expect to replace; a loan suits gear you plan to keep. The gym page covers fit-outs and buying a gym.
Financing Food Trucks and Trailers for Lee County, FL Businesses
A food truck is two assets in one: a vehicle and a kitchen. Partners look at the chassis age and mileage, the cooking equipment and who built it, and the operator's sales history. For context, Lee County, FL had 472 limited-service restaurants and 692 full-service restaurants with paid employees in 2023 (CBP 2023); mobile food vendors are counted separately and are not in those figures.
An existing restaurant adding a truck has history to show. A brand-new operator without sales falls outside what Driftwater arranges, since startup loans are excluded. See the restaurant page for kitchen equipment.
Financing Mowers, Trailers and Landscaping Equipment for Lee County, FL Businesses
Landscaping is equipment-heavy work. Lee County, FL had 546 landscaping services employers with 4,330 paid employees in 2023 (CBP, NAICS 561730); 69.0% of those employers had fewer than five employees. Nonemployer Statistics, a separate program, counted 1,888 landscaping businesses without paid employees in 2024.
Zero-turn mowers, trailers, trucks and skid steers can each be financed, alone or as a package. Bring dealer quotes with model numbers. The landscaping page covers crews and contracts.
Construction and Heavy Equipment: Financing Options in Fort Myers, FL
Construction had more employer establishments than any other sector in Lee County, FL: 3,887 in 2023, with 33,899 paid employees (CBP 2023). They include 945 residential builders and 107 nonresidential builders. Building activity behind that: 13,547 new housing units authorized by permit in 2025 (Census Building Permits Survey).
Excavators, loaders, lifts and dump trucks are financed against their own value. Used machines can be financed when their age and hours support the term; expect an inspection or appraisal for older units. The construction page covers contractors' other needs.
Financing Dental Chairs, Imaging and Equipment for Lee County, FL Businesses
Lee County, FL had 261 offices of dentists with 1,942 paid employees in 2023 (CBP, NAICS 6212). Chairs, delivery units, digital imaging, scanners and sterilization equipment are financed like other equipment, against a vendor quote.
Imaging and software-heavy equipment loses resale value differently from a chair, which can affect the term a partner offers. The dental office page and the medical practice page go further, and the medical equipment article walks through a purchase.
Is It Better to Lease or Buy Equipment for Business? The Fort Myers, FL Version
| Point | Loan (buy) | Lease |
|---|---|---|
| Ownership | Yours from the start, with a lien | The lessor's until any buyout |
| End of term | You own it outright | Return the loader, extend the lease, or pay the stated buyout |
| Suits | Gear kept for its whole life | Gear replaced on a cycle |
| Compare by | Total payments plus down payment | Total payments plus any buyout |
Neither is right in general. Tax treatment differs, so ask your accountant, and price both in total dollars.
Business Loan to Buy Equipment: When It Fits in Fort Myers, FL
Illustration only, invented figures: a contractor buys a $85,000 compact track loader with $8,500 down. Financing $76,500 over 60 months at 9% a year gives a payment of about $1,588; in this invented example the down payment plus all 60 payments come to about $103,781. A balloon at the end lowers the monthly figure; the balloon payment calculator shows how.
To start, have the quote ready and call (239) 453-0635 or send the request form. Read how to get equipment financing in Lee County, FL, the restaurant financing article and the auto repair shop article for trade-specific steps, and the hotel project article for FF&E. Payroll and materials around the purchase fit working capital, and a larger project can sit on a term loan; salon chairs and stations follow the same rules.
By Driftwater Loans · Updated