Higgins

Congratulations to our Hawke’s Bay Foreperson Tanya Claxton for winning the Civil Contractors New Zealand Hawke’s Bay East Coast Women in Contracting Award as well as the CCNZ CablePrice (NZ) Ltd Regional Excavator Operator Competition. To win the competition, Tanya had to complete a number of tasks including picking up an egg and placing it on a road cone, painting a picture, dunking basketballs – all using her excavator. Look closely at the picture and you’ll see another one of the activities – pouring drinks! Tanya is one of our most experienced operators, with 22 years in the industry and 10 years at Higgins. She’s well-known for her attention to detail on the job – something she picked up in her previous life as a dressmaker. As the winner, she’s qualified for the national finals being held in Feilding at the Central Districts Field Days next March. We were also represented by Trainee of the year winner Corrina Marunui as well as being a finalist in training company of the year.

Higgins East Waikato NOC recently donated sand for the Central Kids Morrinsville sandpit. Central Kids, a nonprofit trust, has been providing education for young children in the Waikato, Coromandel, Rotorua, and King Country areas since 1951. Ben Buttimore, Group Maintenance Operations Manager, shared that the team enjoyed their mission for Central Kids. "Our EWNOC cyclic team, Ed Tuira and Beau-Dean Karauria, had to remove and replace the gate, and Stacey Kirkbride, Contract Administrator, did much of the actual heavy lifting on the Saturday when we moved the stockpiled sand into the giant sandpit itself – no need for the gym that day!" Central Kids Head Teacher, Anna Taylor, expressed their gratitude, saying, "We are totally blown away by the generosity and community spirit. An extra big thank you for coming in and moving it all to the sandpit too, going above and beyond. We really value the support that businesses give us, which in turn enables us to continue providing quality education in the community. The kids were really excited to have new sand, and whaanau commented on the wonderful gesture in our latest newsletter."

Higgins Levin is making Horowhenua’s Christmas wish come true! The team is sponsoring the traffic management for the Horowhenua Christmas parade and carnival on 7 December. After last year's cancellation, they’re excited to help bring this beloved event back to the community. Branch Manager Johan van Wyk shared, "We’re thrilled to support the Horowhenua Christmas parade and carnival. It’s a wonderful occasion that brings the community together, and we’re excited to be part of the magic." "We know how much the community loves this event, and it’s a joy to contribute to something that brings smiles to so many faces. We’re looking forward to seeing everyone come together and celebrate in the spirit of the season." You can read the full story on NZ Herald: https://ow.ly/wsc650U1Pcv

We’re excited to announce that our business will soon be operating a new bitumen importation terminal at Marsden Point. This will allow us to import, store, and distribute bitumen from the Northland site, and uniquely positions Higgins to service the Northland, Auckland and Waikato regions. Channel Infrastructure NZ is developing this terminal on our behalf, and it’ll be operating in the second half of 2026. Higgins GM Andrew McRae says it’s a great investment in the future of Higgins. “The importation and supply of bitumen has become an important part of our business. This facility enhances bitumen supply for our own projects and allows us to supply the wider construction industry in the upper North Island. It will join our current bitumen import terminal in Napier.” Higgins started importing bitumen in 2023 after Z Energy exited the market. This exciting development supports Higgins growth aspirations in the upper North Island and underscores our commitment to be New Zealand's pavement and road surfacing supplier of choice.

Dante Sutch-Coleman’s love for trucks and machinery made his career switch a no-brainer. After just one year in retail, he jumped into road maintenance. “I started as a labourer and worked my way up to foreman, handling everything from signs and street furniture installation to drainage, asphalt, and emergency response. I’ve been in the industry for 13 years.” When an opportunity came up to work with Higgins on the Kāpiti City District Council (KCDC) road maintenance contract, Dante grabbed it. “I began as the footpath renewals foreman and also served as the heavy maintenance foreman, filling in with the cyclic team doing signs.” Now, Dante is the Road Maintenance Supervisor, overseeing the cyclic and heavy maintenance crews and managing the roading asset management data for the contract. “I love the variety in my role; no two days are the same, especially in maintenance. One day might involve asphalting, while the next could be clearing slips. Higgins has given me chances to upskill and work on other projects, like the Pekapeka to Otaki motorway and the Te Awa Kairangi transformational project for Lower Hutt.” Dante also enjoys the challenges of roading maintenance. “The maintenance contract's changeable and reactive nature means I get to use my field experience and consult with the team to get the best outcomes for our clients.” Dante celebrates his sixth year with Higgins this month, and he’s excited for many more years maintaining Kāpiti’s roads.

Higgins Waikato has added a brand-new sprayer to their fleet! The team now operates two specialised roading equipment telescopic bitumen sprayers in the region. Supervisor Will Hamilton highlights that the new machine can accurately spray any road width from 0.3 to 6 metres, thanks to its variable width telescopic spray bar. Additionally, all spray run data is sent directly to the cloud, allowing project managers to access it in real-time. "The advanced technology in the spray control systems ensures precise binder applications across all rates. The easy management of the sprayer computer from the cab enhances productivity and creates a safer work environment."

Fletcher Construction's partnership with Hello Period™ caught the attention of Paddy Gower's team, who arranged for this recent on-screen interview with Paddy, Jo Chan and Rebecca Staples. Take a look to see how these wāhine toa made reusable period products available for all women at Fletcher Construction. You can check out the full show here: https://ow.ly/KTc750U8HzF

Brandt ‘Jacko’ Jackson has a special interest in looking after Ara Tūhono – Pūhoi to Warkworth Motorway. Not only is he employed as a Specialist Operator in maintenance, he also worked on the motorway for six years during its construction. In that time, he worked his way up from labourer to leading hand and foreman. “I know this motorway like the back of my hand. It’s nice to come to work every day and put my energy into looking after something I helped build.” His current role is focused on keeping the new 18.5km highway in top condition with a maintenance programme involving clearing culverts, rubbish and debris, landscape work, site patrols as well as responding to traffic incidents or blocked lanes. There are plenty of times Jacko has responded to traffic incidents and call outs at all times of the day and night, helped a motorist change a flat tyre or organised a tow truck if their vehicle has broken down. “Any way I can help is rewarding,” Jacko says.

Our team member Paul Curry is about to embark on a challenging 1,100 km bike ride from Picton to Bluff. This journey is a heartfelt tribute to his daughter Croía (pronounced “Cree-ah,” meaning “of the heart”), who sadly passed away in December due to heart complications. Paul, who is our Southern Area Estimating Manager, is aiming to honour Croía's memory and raise funds for three incredible charities: Christchurch Women's Hospital Maternity Services, Bellyful New Zealand, and the Starship Foundation. He expects to complete the journey in around five days, covering an average of 230 km per day. You can support Paul's Ride for Croía – please visit the website https://ow.ly/iz2a50U1NHU, Givealittle page https://ow.ly/mtjl50U1NHT, or Facebook https://ow.ly/PeNi50U1NHX. “Thank you for any support, which will not only honour Croía's memory but also make a tangible difference in the lives of countless families,” says Paul. Let's come together to support this incredible cause!

Our Higgins Christchurch team is off to a fantastic start this sealing season. The team has successfully resealed Vernon Terrace at the base of Port Hills, marking the first of 80 sites scheduled for resealing. Surfacing Engineer Murray Angus highlighted the challenges faced, including managing one-way traffic and ensuring the safety of vehicles entering and leaving the area. "We also navigated several risks, such as working on narrow sections of road, service poles right against the kerb, and overhead cables.” Maintenance Manager Mondri du Preez expressed excitement for the season ahead. "It's the start of a big season and well into it. We're focused on completing the full programme on time with a high level of quality and safety, ensuring that our client meets their commitment to the public on re-seals."