Six area companies took top honors Friday morning at a new Lawrence Chamber of Commerce awards ceremony designed to make sure businesses know the community appreciates them.

About 200 people attended the chamber’s Excellence in Commerce Awards at the Lawrence Holidome.

“Lawrence businesses have so much to be proud of that we really thought we needed an event like this to share their accomplishments,” said Lavern Squier, president and chief executive of the chamber.

The winners — chosen from a field of 19 finalists by a chamber-appointed committee — were:

l Sauer-Danfoss, which produces hydrostatic parts at a plant in the East Hills Business Park. The company won in the manufacturing/distribution category.

l Griffin Technologies, Lawrence, a developer of security devices and programs for computers. The company won in the technology division.

l EMR Inc., a Lawrence-based environmental engineering firm, won in the business and professional service category.

l The World Company, owner of the Lawrence Journal-World and Sunflower Broadband, won in the consumer services division.

l Lawrence’s two Hy-Vee Food and Drug Stores won in the retail category.

l Lawrence’s Chiropractic Experience received the Bob Billings Rising Star Award, which recognizes successful businesses that are less than 3 years old. The award is named after the late Lawrence businessman who developed Alvamar and other residential areas.

The businesses were judged based on information they provided about their financial health, industry accomplishments, employee programs and community involvement. Fifty-nine companies were nominated for the awards and the nominations were whittled down to 19 finalists through a scoring system used by the committee.

Lynn Parman, vice president of economic development for the chamber, said the awards were expected to become an annual event.

“One of the reasons we wanted to do this is to send a message to the corporate offices about how important these companies are to this community,” Parman said.

All 19 of the finalists will be nominated for the state’s business awards program administered by the Kansas Department of Commerce. Those awards will be given next summer.