Barron Gift Collier knew he had found something special when he came to Southwest Florida in 1911. By the time he had assembled 1.25 million acres of land that stretched from the Gulf of Mexico to the Everglades, he had earned the distinction of being the largest private landowner in the state of Florida. He played a meaningful role in shaping the future of Southwest Florida, and his contributions to the area he loved have left a lasting legacy in the county named in his honor.
Barron Gift Collier’s influential legacy and vision have been carried on by his grandsons, Miles C. Collier and Barron G. Collier II, who founded Collier Enterprises in 1976. Originally conceived as a real estate development firm, Naples-based Collier Enterprises has grown significantly and become even more diversified in the intervening decades. Today, the businesses managed by Collier Enterprises span a broad spectrum of activities, including commercial and residential property investment and agribusiness.
Collier Enterprises is dedicated to responsible long-range planning, stewardship and careful development of its Southwest Florida lands. The environmental sensitivity woven into the company’s development approach is evident at legacy projects such as Collier’s Reserve, The Old Collier Golf Club, and Hamilton Harbor Yacht Club; each has brought the company public recognition and numerous environmental awards from organizations such as Audubon International and the Council for Sustainable Florida.
While much has changed over the years, the core culture remains the same: Collier Enterprises is a private company where investments are based on independent research and trusted business partnerships, and where a commitment to enhancing the area’s outstanding quality of life reflects the qualities that attracted Barron Gift Collier to Southwest Florida more than a century ago.
