No. 1’s VISION
Wagners chief heads region’s most powerful list
DENIS Wagner is an undeniable captain of industry and champion for regional investment. The non-executive chairman of the Wagners building and construction company is a man of vast influence who has topped The Chronicle’s list of most 100 powerful people.
He has ridden the expansion of his family’s company all the way as it has, in a very real sense, built Toowoomba. He was surprised at the top billing.
“There are many other people in the community who could receive this acknowledgement,” he said.
He and his family’s influence will continue to play out in coming years as he leads the company into the future.
Unveiling a legacy for which he and his brothers will be known, Mr Wagner said it would revolve around creating opportunities for the region’s residents.
“The future for Toowoomba should be one with a thriving economy, abundant job opportunities, an easy place to do business and a nice place to live,” he said.
“We will have world-class high-tech industry in addition to our traditional industry base.
“We should have an environment where people want to move here to work, to be educated, to retire and enjoy life or to visit and take in the ambience of the region.”
Mr Wagner was selected as Toowoomba’s most powerful resident by a select committee which considered social, political, business and industry leaders from across the community.
The committee spent weeks first identifying people who have shaped our city, then researching their role in the region today.
The Chronicle over the past week has counted down to the top 20 revealed online and in print today for the first time.
Mr Wagner’s position in the Toowoomba social and business sectors, and his reputation as a fighter for fair, earned him top billing on the inaugural list.
He is a respected boss of hundreds of locals employed under the company he started with his three brothers Joe, John and Neill, and their father Henry, in 1989.
The second eldest son is the driving force of the company which remains a family entity and earned the Wagners the title of the region’s most influential family.
Power is a subjective term and The Chronicle’s Power 100 list is designed to spark conversations in our community.
Email your thoughts to news@thechronicle.com.au and see the full list inside today’s paper and online.