Dr Mick Power AM named a Queensland Great

BMD Founder and Chairman Dr Mick Power AM has been named a 2026 Queensland Great, recognised as the Queensland Day Awards Philanthropic Great for his enduring contribution to Queensland through business, philanthropy, infrastructure, employment and community support. 

A proud Queenslander, construction veteran and philanthropic leader, Mick founded BMD in Queensland in 1979 and has grown the company from the ground up into Australia’s largest privately owned civil construction business. 

Today, BMD remains Australian owned and privately held, with 2,400 people delivering infrastructure solutions across Australia and internationally.

But Mick’s contribution has never been measured by business growth alone. 

For more than four decades, he has used business success as a platform to support people, causes and communities across Queensland. His contribution spans disaster recovery, women’s sport, education, healthcare, veterans’ services, health research and community development. 

Through BMD, more than $2.4 million is directed annually into community investment, sponsorships and partnerships that reflect Mick’s belief that business has a responsibility to contribute beyond the projects it delivers. 

“Queensland has shaped who I am, the business we built and the way I have always tried to do things by working hard, staying grounded, backing people and contributing where we can. 

“Working right across this State, we have seen the resilience, loyalty and generosity of Queenslanders. Those qualities have shaped BMD and the way we work with communities across Australia and internationally. 

“This recognition means a great deal to me personally, but it is not mine alone. It belongs to my wife Denise and my family, to the people who helped grow BMD in the early days, and to the thousands of BMD people who continue to carry our values into the communities where we work. 

“Our business is our people. For me, the measure of success is not only what we achieve as a business, but whether the places we work are better in some way because BMD has been there. I sincerely thank the Queensland Government for this recognition,” Mick said. 

BMD’s story began in Queensland in 1979. 

Supported by his wife Denise and family, including his sister Beverley and her husband Bevan, Mick established BMD, with the company taking its name from Beverley, Mick and Denise.

BMD Group Chief Executive Officer Scott Power said Mick’s influence on Queensland’s construction industry has been profound. 

“Mick started with residential subdivisions more than 45 years ago and grew BMD into Australia’s largest privately owned civil construction business,” Scott said.

“His contribution, however, extends well beyond industry. Over more than four decades, he has used business success as a platform to support people, causes and communities across Queensland, including through philanthropy, employment, disaster recovery, sport, education, health research and community development. 

“This recognition is a proud moment for our family and everyone at BMD. It honours Mick’s contribution to Queensland and the values that continue to shape our business.”

Mick has long believed that business success comes with responsibility. 

This belief has shaped BMD’s approach to community investment, with a focus on creating lasting impact beyond financial support. BMD people are encouraged to volunteer, fundraise and support communities in meaningful and practical ways.

That commitment can be seen in BMD’s long-standing support of Legacy Brisbane. Through Legacy’s Backyard Assist program, BMD volunteers join Legacy and the Australian Defence Force to support Legacy family members, particularly elderly and isolated dependants who do not have regular access to assistance, by transforming their backyards into safe, low-maintenance outdoor spaces that restore pride and enjoyment in the home.

The same spirit of service is evident when communities face unexpected challenges. Following ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, a 20-strong BMD “ute army” supported Brisbane’s clean-up over three days, assisting more than 130 households across more than 20 suburbs. 

For Mick, that practical support reflects the way BMD has always worked: close to communities and grounded in relationships.

Mick’s contribution to Queensland also extends through sport and education. 

Under his chairmanship, BMD has supported the growth and visibility of women’s sport through long-term partnerships with the Brisbane Lions AFLW team and the QRL BMD Premiership. 

BMD is also a national partner of UNIQ You, a Queensland-founded organisation helping school-aged girls explore career pathways in construction, engineering and other industries where women remain underrepresented. 

These partnerships reflect Mick’s belief in backing people and creating opportunity, particularly for the next generation. 

In 2026, Mick initiated BMD’s partnership with Shake It Up Australia Foundation in honour of his late father, Dare Power. 

The partnership supports Parkinson’s research and awareness, while also encouraging BMD people and the broader community to contribute through matched giving and fundraising. 

Mick’s recognition as a 2026 Queensland Great reflects a lifetime of contribution to Queensland and the values that continue to guide BMD today. 

Queensland is where BMD’s story started. More than four decades later, those foundations continue to shape how the business works across Australia and internationally. 

For Mick, the measure of success remains simple: whether the places BMD works are better in some way because the company has been there.