The Young Guns, the 10 emerging movers and shakers

KENNETH Wagner has made an astonishing debut on the city’s business scene as a young man with ambition and a keen eye for development.

Since 2015 when he and business partner Michael Hay revealed their plans to open a new pub, the young entrepreneur has helped energise the Toowoomba CBD.

His first development, The Office, brought something new to the city with a modern fit-out on Duggan St which, until that point, had been a forgotten street-scape in the shadow of Grand Central.

Less than six months after it opened, Mr Wagner had made his second strategic acquisition in the city, buying The Gladstone Hotel on Ruthven St for $2.35 million.

By November 2016, he and Mr Hay had sold The Office to Worldwide Hospitality Group and turned their focus to The Glad.

The site, bordered by offices and Kwong Sang Walk, will eventually be a five-storey, four-and-a-half star, 100-room short-stay hotel if the ambitious plans come to fruition, and will operate under the Oaks hotel brand.

But the development has become a frustration for the trail blazer, hitting approval delays and hurdles with the Toowoomba Regional Council’s controversial planning scheme and charges.

His company, KPAT Property, works with international brands to operate and manage hotels, and has given him a solid start in what appears to be a successful entry in the hotel industry.

Beyond business, he is a political aspirant and considered running for the Toowoomba South by-election. He was appointed to the Urban Development Institute of Australia (Qld) Toowoomba Branch committee this year.