Sir Daniel Patrick Higgins (born ) is a New Zealand businessman and philanthropist. He was chairman of the

Palmerston North Palmerston North (; mi, Te Papa-i-Oea, known colloquially as Palmy) is a city in the North Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Manawatū-Whanganui region. Located in the eastern Manawatu Plains, the city is near the north bank of the ...

-based construction firm, Higgins Group, until it was sold to

Fletcher Building Fletcher Building Limited is one of the largest listed companies in New Zealand, with a market capitalisation of nearly New Zealand dollar, NZ$4 billion. The company was split from Fletcher Challenge in 2001, formerly New Zealand's largest bu ...

in 2016.

Early life and family

Higgins was born in

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...

in about 1938, the son of Phyllis and Irish-born Dan Higgins. The family moved to Palmerston North in 1947, where Dan Higgins founded what became the Higgins Group in 1951. Pat Higgins married his wife, Jennifer Kay Johnson, in about 1962, and the couple went on to have four children.

Career

After leaving school, Higgins gained experience working with the family company's road crews, before moving to work in the management side of the business, and rising to become company chairman. The company grew to employ over 1700 staff, and was sold to Fletcher Building in 2016 for $315 million.

Philanthropy

Higgins began donating to community groups, sporting bodies and charities in the Manawatū in the 1980s. In 2016, it was reported that Higgins and the Higgins Group supported over 100 organisations annually. Groups that have received significant support include the Manawatū Cancer Society, Arohanui Hospice, the Manawatū Turbos rugby union team, and Manfeild Park. For many years, Higgins and EziBuy founder Gerard Gillispie gave $25,000 annually to the Manawatū rugby academy, and Higgins contributed $250,000 to the 2009 "Save the Turbos" campaign.

Honours and awards

In the 2005 Queen's Birthday Honours, Higgins was appointed an

Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order of merit in the New Zealand royal honours system. It was established by royal warrant on 30 May 1996 by Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand, "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rend ...

, for services to business and the community. He was promoted to Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to philanthropy and the community, in the 2011 Queen's Birthday Honours. In 2007, Higgins was named Manawatū sports personality of the year, and in 2012 he was inducted into the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame.

Later life

Higgins' wife, Kay, Lady Higgins, died in November 2012.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Higgins, Pat 1930s births Living people Businesspeople from Christchurch People from Palmerston North New Zealand businesspeople New Zealand philanthropists Knights Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit