Higgins

Last year, Higgins Graduate Engineer Raniya Rahman reached out to colleagues at Fletcher Construction through a post about Ramadan, knowing that with their support and understanding, fasting during the period would be a lot easier. "I believe it helped encourage open discussions about the significance of the month for Muslims," Raniya says. "People approached me after the post was made and asked questions. This helped raise awareness about why we do it, but most importantly, how it impacts the daily routines of colleagues on site participating in fasting. Not only did I feel an increase in support, but physical actions also took place to ease the month for those practicing." Raniya explains that fasting during Ramadan greatly affects the physical capabilities of workers, with energy levels sitting low. Reduced hydration and limited food intake are challenging and can lead to fatigue, making it difficult to carry out heavier tasks. She acknowledges the impact of the post. "Colleagues recognised the effects of fasting and would step in to help or take over my tasks, demonstrating our company’s safety value, Protect, and fostering a sense of camaraderie."

Our Higgins Hawke’s Bay team is proudly sponsoring Flaxmere College in this year’s Te Vaka Māia programme, an initiative by the Hastings Police focused on physical and mental development. For eight weeks during winter, students will engage in early morning physical activities and team-building sessions three days a week. These sessions are designed to enhance their mental and physical capabilities, fostering motivation, resilience, problem-solving skills, and self-esteem. The programme culminates in the "longest day," where students and support teams will undertake a challenging 32-kilometre journey involving running, carrying equipment, and marching. We’re excited to support these young individuals in their journey of growth and development.

Our Higgins Waikato team recently attended the Sunset Beach Careers Fair in Port Waikato. Thanks to the support from the Ministry of Social Development, the team engaged with local communities and connect with potential candidates for our Waikato District road maintenance contract. Thank you to Ken Scarlett, Project Director at the Port Project, for inviting us to the fair. He expresses his gratitude to our dedicated team members contract manager Luke McCarthy, operations manager Blair Landon, and senior bid writer Yoon Jung. “It was fantastic to have Higgins Contractors meet our ready-for-work Port Project trainees. The Port Project has trained over 100 local people in SiteSafe, First Aid, and a UN Nature Based Solutions certificate, plus provided work experience in erosion control. With Higgins taking on the local WDC roading work, it is a great opportunity to work together with the local community.”

Construction has begun on State Highway 1B Telephone Road. Our Higgins Waikato team attended the karakia with mana whenua Piripi Matika and Mape Maitka of Ngāti Wairere, and Tangi Tu and Tu Clark of Ngāti Hauā. Higgins Waikato Construction Manager, Mathew Fletcher said work would include significant safety improvements, with the road being raised at the rail crossing and new bays for traffic to use when turning in to, and out of Telephone Road. ”Closing the intersection across the next three months will mean disruption for people travelling in the area, with detours already in place, but it is the only way to complete the work safely for the community.” The team joined representatives from NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Beca and KiwiRail, Waikato District Council Mayor Jacqui Church JP and Tamahere-Woodlands General Ward Councillor, Crystal Beavis during the blessing.

Contract Manager John Bezuidenhout is clear about what brings him to work every day: the people. When he joined the Green Team about a year ago, he immediately loved the whānau feel of his Eastern Bay of Plenty team. “We’re a tight-knit group, we care about each other and where we’re going.” After almost 20 years’ working in construction in South Africa, John moved to New Zealand six years ago. In his current role, he’s responsible for maintaining the local state highways on behalf of NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi. He feels a real sense of achievement in what his team does and loves the opportunity to build relationships with those around him. He prides himself on ensuring our crews work safely while minimising delays as much as possible. If you’d like to explore contract manager roles like John’s, click here: https://ow.ly/lZw150Vl3HN

Our Higgins Traffic team is leading a recycling initiative aimed at boosting sustainability and reducing costs. The team, which relies heavily on traffic management, previously faced high expenses for aluminium traffic signs. Old and damaged signs were sent to scrap metal, yielding less than one-eighth of their original cost. Traffic Operations Manager Sanjesh Narayan reviewed the current process and explored the feasibility of reusing or refurbishing these signs. The findings revealed that recycling the signs was far more cost-effective than purchasing new ones. This initiative resulted in significant savings for the division. Large signs were converted into multiple smaller ones at half the original cost, reducing expenses and increasing the inventory of usable signs. This recycling effort has made their operations more sustainable by reusing materials and cutting down on costs.

Congratulations to Tanya Claxton for being a finalist in the Civil Contractors New Zealand CablePrice (NZ) Ltd National Excavator Operator competition.  Listen to Tanya on RNZ talk about her journey – over 23 years – in the construction industry and joining the excavator competition finals. #proud

The Green Team's Tanya Claxton is competing at the Civil Contractors New Zealand CablePrice (NZ) Ltd National Excavator Operator Competition in Feilding today and tomorrow. All the best, Tanya!

We are thrilled to welcome our Year One cohort to the Fletcher Construction Graduate Programme! During an engaging two-day induction workshop, our new graduates had the chance to connect with senior leaders who shared insights into the scope and strength of Fletcher Building’s diverse business units. They also delved into our core corporate values, which guide our interactions within teams, with customers, and in the wider community. They enjoyed the opportunity to network with our Year Two graduates, who generously shared their experiences and stories from their time with Fletcher Construction, Brian Perry Civil, and Higgins. Year One has eight females, which is a positive step towards our goal of increasing the number of women in Fletcher Construction. Our grads are: with Fletcher Construction, Maria Vaefaga, Samantha Kuijpers, Isa Caresosa; with Brian Perry Civil, Milla Huang, Papamama Pokinio, Dara Patrick, Trishalia Moodley, Jayjay Huang, Shereen Audiss; and with Higgins, Xin Tian Chia, Nicole Lizardo, Una Tuimoala.

East Auckland's new flyover standing tall