Healthcare group reports fast growth

Outsourcing continues to drive up the balance sheet for one Lehigh Acre company.

LeeSar and Cooperative Services of Florida, the Lehigh Acre-based purchasing and distribution cooperative owned by Sarasota and Lee memorial health systems, continues its quick growth. Last year alone the non-profit brought in $112 million in gross revenue, a gain of 26.8% from the $88.34 million it received in 2007. Now its two parent companies want to increase its operations to include food service and medical-equipment sterilization for both hospital systems.

The business has plans to build a 250,000-square-foot headquarters on the 22-acre site of the closed Southwest Florida Regional Medical Center on Winkler Avenue, which was replaced by the brand new $285-million Gulf Coast Medical Center. Demolition of the hospital should start soon, with construction of the new facility following in the fall.