One of the area's biggest tourist draws and a retailer that's become a huge success in downtown Sheboygan received top honors from the Sheboygan County Chamber of Commerce during an awards ceremony Wednesday night.

Road America in Elkhart Lake and Olivu 426 in Sheboygan were each named 2010 Business of the Year during the chamber's inaugural "Chamber Champions" dinner and awards gala at the Blue Harbor Resort and Conference Center.

A crowd of 352 people was on hand as Road America was recognized in the large business category, while Olivu was honored in the small business category.

Chamber officials said the companies were selected for exemplifying the highest principles in doing business.

"They make a commitment to their employees, have grown their businesses even in the depths of the recession and they each strive to make a difference in their communities," said Dave Gass, of Rohde Dales LLC, who presented the awards.

Road America hosted the enormously successful NASCAR Nationwide Series Bucyrus 200 in June, which attracted more than 100,000 spectators and had a TV audience of 1.3 million people. NASCAR has since committed to hold the event at Road America this summer.

"Our staff really dug in deep, and put in a lot of time. We were over-prepared, and we over-performed, and that's why we got them back," said George Bruggenthies, Road America's executive director, after accepting the award.Meanwhile, Olivu sells soap, sugar scrub and other natural cosmetic products at its downtown Sheboygan store. It also does a substantial amount of business online. At night, the store hosts popular gatherings where customers make their own health products under the guidance of Olivu staff.

Caitlin Brotz, Olivu's owner, told the audience that she was thrilled to receive the award.

"I truly am speechless," Brotz said during her acceptance speech. "I'm going to be jumping up and down for the next week."The event marked the first time the chamber and its members formally recognized their peers for exceptional achievements in the business and non-profit areas of Sheboygan County.

Other award winners were: Sheboygan & Plymouth Area United Way (Nonprofit of the Year), Top Chef Elkhart Lake and IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (Working Together Awards), Faith Technologies (Safety Leader), Sandy Livermore, Bookworm Gardens (Community Volunteer), Road America (Hospitality Star) and Jim Maxon, M&I Bank (Chamber Super Star).