Twenty-four companies are finalists in the 11th annual AmCham DHL Express Success & Innovation Awards, with the winners to be announced at a black tie gala with guest MC Michael Wilson on September 16th at Auckland’s Hyatt Regency.
The finalists represent a diverse set of companies proffering a range of goods and services reflecting the depth of business links between New Zealand and the United States.
The AmCham DHL Express Success & Innovation Awards, held in conjunction with Qantas, celebrate success and innovation in the import, export and investment sectors between New Zealand and its third largest trading partners the US. Prizes include a travel voucher worth NZ$2,500 for air travel to the US on Qantas Airways for winners of the importer, exporter and education partnership categories.
“It is disappointing to see New Zealand’s bilateral trade relationship with the US has fallen by 18 percent in the last year and is now only worth about $7.69 billion annually. However at the same time, the New Zealand dollar has risen by some 33 percent against the US dollar. The American Chamber of Commerce in New Zealand believes this is a crucial time to foster more trade links with the US, and we hope the success of these finalists inspires other companies to investigate the market,” said AmCham’s Executive Director Mike Hearn. “We’re constantly looking for opportunities to enhance and expand business and trade relationships within the private and public sectors. The annual Success & Innovation Awards provide an opportunity to showcase companies that have demonstrated imagination, innovation and entrepreneurship, and to honour and celebrate their achievements.”
The awards incorporate investment in both directions and divide export earnings into three categories to ensure companies can compete on an equal basis.
The 2010 Awards have been narrowed down to 15 finalists across the four major categories. They are:
Exporter of the Year – under NZ$500,000
- Enlight Photo Ltd
- Nutshell Corporation Ltd
- Wools of New Zealand
Exporter of the Year – NZ$500,001 — NZ$5 million
- Biomatters Ltd
- Ecoquest Educational Foundation
- Metalform (Dannevirke) Ltd
- Mobile Commerce Ltd
Exporter of the Year – over NZ$5 million
- Bio Vittoria Ltd
- JMP Engineering Ltd
- The New Zealand King Salmon Co Ltd
- Pratt & Whitney Air New Zealand Services t/a Christchurch Engine Centre
Importer of the Year from the US
- California Table Grapes
- Observatory Crest Ltd
- Seychelle Ltd
- Tidd Ross Todd Ltd
The Investor of the Year Award is a recognition award. The finalists are:
Investor of the Year to or from the US
- Meredith Corp/The Hyperfactory Ltd
- MP Biomedicals/ICP Bio International Ltd
- O-I New Zealand
The Education Partnership Award is new this year, recognizing the best US-focused entrepreneurial partnership between a business and a primary or secondary school. The finalists are:
Education Partnership with the US
- Biomatters Ltd
- Ecoquest Educational Foundation
- First Tee NZ
- Mainfreight & Duffy Books USA
- The NZ Robotics Charitable Trust
- Onehunga High Business School
In addition to AmCham, DHL Express and Qantas, the awards are supported by Auckland University of Technology, Baldwins, Ernst and Young, Fonterra Co-operative Group Limited, and New Zealand Trade & Enterprise.
Previous winners of the Supreme Award have included Zespri International, Peace Software, Airways Corporation, HumanWare, Tenon, Orion Health, Zeacom, SMI Group and Fonterra.
AmCham has been promoting trade, investment, tourism and education links between the United States of America and New Zealand for over 45 years. Our membership is diverse and is made up of many of the US Fortune 500 companies and leading NZ corporates representing turnover well in excess of $50 billion and over 100,000 employees.
