1:10 A.M. — Three Gulf Coast firms, including two from Southwest Florida, have won major honors from the Small Business Administration’s South Florida district, the agency announced Wednesday

“I’m very honored, very proud,” said Brian D. Rist, president and CEO of Fort Myers-based Storm Smart Building Systems Inc. The company, which has a work force of almost 100, manufactures hurricane shutters and protective wind abatement screens. It recently branched out with a new solar energy division, and is planning to hire more workers.

That growth – combined with donations of storm shutters to needy families – probably caught the SBA’s attention, Rist said.

Joining Rist in the SBA winner’s circle: Keith and Douglas Daubmann of Mr. Shower Door, which has local operations in Naples and Fort Myers. The Daubmanns are the SBA’s state and district honorees for the Jeffrey H. Butland Family-owned Business of the Year award.

Further north, Carmie Snider, Fifth Third Bank’s Sarasota-based vice president and an SBA portfolio manager was named Financial Services Champion of the Year for the district.

Taking statewide honors as SBA small businessperson of the year: Waymon Armstrong, CEO of Orlando-based Engineering and Computer Simulations Inc.

Since 1963, the U.S. president yearly has issued a proclamation designating Small Business Week to recognize the contributions of the nation’s 26 million entrepreneurs.

The SBA’s South Florida District winners will be honored at a Small Business Week luncheon May 20 at the Embassy Suites in Fort Myers. This will occur just before National Small Business Week May 23-29.

Carol Conway, president of Cape Coral-based CRS Technology Consultants, was the state SBA small-business person in 1998.