The Horizon Council, Horizon Foundation, and the Lee County Economic Development Southwest Florida proudly announced the winners of the 2021 Industry Appreciation Awards.

There are several awards, each with one or more recipients that demonstrated particular success in different areas of their business and its outreach to the surrounding community.

The Business Resiliency and Innovation Award was presented to Fort Myers Brewing Company and Sanibel Captiva Community Bank for their “successfully pivoted operations, products and services to not only be resilient but to help the needs of the community in response to the COVID-19 pandemic,” according to Lee County Economic Development.

Lee County Economic Development continues, “Fort Myers Brewing Company is Lee County’s first craft brewery and opened in 2013. When COVID-19 closed bars and restaurants, Fort Myers Brewing quickly realized it was time to shift operations with canned beverages to go and converted a portion of the business to produce hand sanitizer. The company also offered odd projects to boost staff income, and the owners cut their salaries to ensure staff continued to receive health benefits.”

“Sanibel Captiva Community Bank was chartered in 2003 and, despite the pandemic, has continued to deliver for its customers, team and the community. The bank proved to be flexible, offered customers more personal engagement and processed millions of SBA funds with high efficiency, proving instrumental in helping thousands of Lee County businesses and residents,” adds Lee County Economic Development.

The Community Steward of the Year Award was presented to Cushman & Wakefield - Commercial Property Southwest Florida, “whose financial, volunteer and active involvement in community organizations and programs create a better quality of business and civic life in Lee County.”

The Innovator of the Year Award was presented to two businesses; Cigent Technology and Energy Harness Corporation for their development of advanced technologies that impacted Lee County’s growing economy in a positive way.

The Manufacturer of the Year Award was presented to Storm Smart for “exhibit[ing] excellence and growth in leadership, performance, profitability and workforce relations. Storm Smart set out 25 years ago to provide innovative hurricane protection solutions for homes and businesses in Southwest Florida. Today, it is the largest manufacturer and installer of code-approved hurricane protection products in North America. Storm Smart pioneered the concept of using fabric as a hurricane protection product, and today, fabric shutters are one of the most popular products in the industry,” according to Lee County Economic Development.

The Startup of the Year Award was presented to Two39 Work for continuing financial and staffing growth while overcoming obstacles along the way.

The Small Business of the Year Award was presented to Stickboy Creative. “Stickboy Creative was founded in 2007 with a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation at its core from day one. Although best known for software development, website design and mobile app development, the company treats itself as an incubator, constantly fostering the adoption of new technologies including blockchain, machine learning and big-data analytics,” explains Lee County Economic Development.

The Large Business of the Year Award was presented to Stevens Construction, Inc. “Stevens Construction, Inc. is celebrating 18 years in business. The company has specialized in construction management services of commercial and healthcare projects since day one. In addition to its original Fort Myers office, Stevens Construction has expanded to include offices in Orlando, Tampa and Sarasota. The Lee County Building Industry Association has named Stevens Construction Contractor of the Year nine times since 2007,” states Lee County Economic Development.

In addition, “A special Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Gary Griffin, President of B&I Contractors, Inc. A Fort Myers native, Griffin has served as both Chairman of the Horizon Council and President of the Horizon Foundation, and is a strong advocate for Lee County businesses and economic development,” explains Lee County Economic Development.

Congratulations to all winners and we are excited to see the continued growth in our area!