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Dunedin-based television production company NHNZ has been named a finalist in this year's American Chamber of Commerce (New Zealand) awards.

The internationally renowned documentary producer has made it to the final cut in the Exporter of the Year to the USA NZ$5million plus category along with some of the country's leading exporters including dairy giant Fonterra.

NHNZ managing director Michael Stedman said he never dreamed the company would be up against companies of Fonterra's stature. However with 99 per cent of the company's income earned from exports, NHNZ's growth in recent years and success in the US made it a contender, he said.

“The US has been a very important part of NHNZ's strategic focus since we decided to grow the company internationally. The US is the toughest market in the world to crack for television production companies with the most channels of any country all competing for air time,” he said.

The company was thrilled to be competing against some of New Zealand's top exporters, and to be the first television production company to be selected as a finalist.

Over the past two decades, NHNZ has invested heavily in building relationships in the highly competitive yet lucrative US television market and now makes programmes for a wide range of influential networks and broadcasters including National Geographic, Discovery, the Science Channel, PBS, Animal Planet and A&E Television Networks.

In 2008, the second season of the emotionally charged and compelling I Survived… series made by NHNZ for A&E attracted the Bio Channel's largest audiences ever.  Mr Stedman said it was remarkable that a company based in New Zealand was able to produce and deliver one of the network's top rating shows.

“It was an enormous achievement by any standards and showed how far we had come in a relatively short time in what can be a ruthless and unforgiving business environment,” he said.

The awards celebrate Kiwi innovation and success in the import, export, and investment sectors between New Zealand and its third largest trading partner, the United States of America.

Finalists from each category and a supreme winner will be announced at an awards ceremony in Auckland on September 3.

Finalists in Exporter of the Year to the USA Over NZ$5Million are: Endace, Fonterra, Glidepath, NHNZ and Orion Health.