Higgins | Customer Story — Groov | Workplace Science Platform

Higgins Family Holdings

Customer case study

To acknowledge World Day for Safety and Health (28 April), Dr Fiona Crichton was joined by Mike Botherway, General Manager at Higgins Family Holidays, to talk about safety, health and wellbeing in different industry contexts - especially in high hazard industries.

Hear directly from an industry leader, who is walking the talk on wellbeing, and what he's doing to look after his mental wellbeing both at work and in his personal life.

“We’re able to really focus on our staff and their wellbeing, which is a key value for a family business. Our people are our number one asset.”

— Mike Botherway, General Manager

Higgins Family Holdings x Groov
at a glance

Groov supports the Higgins Family Holdings team with day-to-day workplace wellbeing, as well as tailored initiatives, workshops, and leadership development.

Since engaging Groov in 2020, leaders have embraced the platform, categorically agreeing that it’s an important part of the business.

Popular elements of the Groov platform among Higgins Family Holdings staff include the Breathing Tool in the Groov App, the 6 Pillars of Wellbeing, and the Ritual Builder.

About Higgins Family Holdings

Proudly family-owned, Higgins Family Holdings Limited operates under the Higgins Concrete and HiRock banners with majority ownership of Counties Ready Mix in Auckland, and Supacrete in Tauranga. The company also has a property business, with their head office based in Palmerston North.

With a team of over 250 staff working across their network, Higgins Family Holdings has strong family values and is actively involved in location communities supporting many organisations through sponsorship, fundraiser, and local events.

Why Groov?

After New Zealand’s first Covid-19 lockdown in 2020, leaders at Higgins Family Holdings sought to engage a partner in the preventative mental health space. Groov was a stand-out choice thanks to the dynamic duo of Sir John Kirwan and Dr Fiona Crichton, who both excel in communicating about wellbeing in an approachable, memorable, and delightful way.

“One of the things Sir John Kirwan does very, very well is breakdown how simple it [wellbeing] is and recognising things that you’re doing daily that are part of a preventative mental maintenance plan”

— Mike Botherway, General Manager

Mike also appreciates how Groov embraces the Higgins family values and works alongside his team in a “true partnership”.

Higgins Family Holdings finds its Groov

Since engaging Groov, Mike says there have been “many individual watershed moments” along the way, including:

People actively taking the time to share, either among themselves or with their manager, what’s going on in their lives
Site staff initiating team wellbeing activities independently, such as group breathing sessions before the workday
An increase in the number of people self-referring for support from an EAP provider
The implementation of wellbeing rituals, such as a monthly shared lunch at head office
Monthly training sessions on the Groov 6 Pillars, co-hosted by Groov Clinical Lead Dr Fiona Crichton

“Groov is helping bring us all together. The real satisfaction is the management group categorically deciding that it’s an important part of the business. They believe in it.”

— Mike Botherway, General Manager

Mike and the team are excited about partnering with Groov on future wellbeing initiatives, as well as continuing to promote Groov throughout the organisation. Popular promotional activities so far have included co-branded posters and wallet cards, co-hosted webinars, and roadshow events with Sir John Kirwan.