GARY GARDNER

HISTORY is dotted with men and women who capitalised on any opportunity presented to them.

In the latest pages of Toowoomba’s history, and indeed in its promising future, one of the pivotal figures is FKG Group’s Gary Gardner.

The company’s executive chairman - a carpenter by trade - has helped deliver some of the most transformative projects in the city which have cemented its emerging reputation as a technological trend-setter.

The $40 million Pulse Data Centre has been built under his watch and anchors the Toowoomba Technology Park at Charlton where FKG is developing an Australian-first hybrid gas and solar microgrid power plant.

It’s a landmark project that has caught the eye of investors across the country who now regard the Garden City as a major player in the tech space; a feat which is a credit to Mr Gardner’s entrepreneurial ability to look at the larger picture.

And he’s an affable boss, crediting his skilled team with investigating the viability of projects which have dramatically advanced the region.

Mr Gardner is among the second generation to steer the company through its impressive expansion in its 41-year history after his father, Francis Gardner, laid its foundations in Brookstead in 1977. A third generation is now involved in its operations.

With a buy local policy where possible, the company is held in high esteem and holds regular free lunches for staff, paid parental leave plans, and its Toowoomba headquarters is fitted with its own early learning centre for staff ’s children, as well as a swimming pool and gym.

Mr Gardner, who survived prostate cancer, helped found the It’s A Bloke Thing Foundation which raises funds for cancer research.