Wagner’s sky-high ambitions marks a decade

It’s hard to believe it has been a decade since the Wagner boys jumped on their bulldozers to build Australia’s first public airport in almost 50 years.

A Cathay Pacific 747-8 jumbo cargo plane bound for Hong Kong from Wellcamp.

It’s hard to believe it has been a decade since the Wagner boys jumped on their bulldozers to build Australia’s first public airport in almost 50 years.

The 10th anniversary of the opening of the Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport will be celebrated on November 8, with more than 400 business leaders, celebrities and politicians expected to converge on site for the soiree.

The event also will mark 35 years of business achievement by the Wagner Family Group

From humble origins on the Darling Downs, Wagners has expanded into a world class Australian property and infrastructure development, investment, aviation and asset management company business. “We started with one concreting plant in 1989 and now are a multinational operation,” John Wagner says. “And we are still proudly a regionally headquartered company.”

Brisbane West Wellcamp Airport’s first passenger flights by QantasLink in 2014.

City Beat readers will recall Wellcamp became Australia’s first greenfield public airport to be built in 48 years when it opened in November 2014.

The opening also marked a world first - the largest modern geopolymer concrete project containing absolutely no Portland cement. Wagners “Earth Friendly Concrete” (EFC) was used for the construction of all heavy duty pavements in the aircraft turning areas as well as a range of other building and civil works on the project. The airport was constructed over 19 months and 11 days from 2012-2014 In 2018, the Wagners — including brothers John, Denis, Neill and Joe — were inducted into the Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame.

Lady like

Lady Jane Edwards, founder and chief executive of local PR shop BBS Communications, is also celebrating 35 years in business—a milestone that has tracked the evolution of Brisbane’s corporate landscape. From its roots in the lead-up to Expo 88 to today, BBS has grown alongside the river city, adapting through changing markets, tech advancements, and now, gearing up for the city’s next big event: the 2032 Olympics.

BBS Communications CEO Lady Jane Edwards.

BBS says Edward’s reflections on 35 years in strategic communications brings a unique perspective on what it takes to build, sustain, and evolve a business in a city that’s transforming around you. Edwards recalls she started with a $50,000 loan from the bank, just enough to cover wages and rent.

“It was a leap of faith, but it was driven by a vision to create something impactful,” she says. “BBS has always been about growth, resilience, and foresight. In 1988, Brisbane was a burgeoning hub on the cusp of transformation, much like the young company I founded.”

Ship ahoy

Gold Coast-based Maritimo had over 1000 potential buyers booked in to see its latest luxury yacht models at the world-famous Florida International Boat Show last week.

Maritimo showcased its flagship M75 Flybridge Motor Yacht and new M55 Flybridge Motor Yacht - Black Edition. Maritimo Americas managing director Keith Teynor say the M75 alone represents nearly 120,000 hours of research and development. Construction of the new vessels takes place in a newly developed area of the Maritimo factory dedicated to the project. “The size and volume of the M75 will obviously impress,” says Teynor. “However it’s the thought and fit and finish that are sets it apart from the market.”