<PAGE>   1
                                                                      Exhibit 24

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY



KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that the undersigned officer and/or director of
MPW INDUSTRIAL SERVICES GROUP, INC., an Ohio corporation, which is about to file
with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, D.C., under the
provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, an Annual Report
on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2001, hereby constitutes and
appoints Monte R. Black and Richard R. Kahle, and each of them, as his or her
true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents with full power of substitution and
resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any
and all capacities, to sign such Annual Report on Form 10-K and any and all
amendments thereto, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other
documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission
and the Nasdaq Stock Market, granting unto each of said attorneys-in-fact and
agents, and substitute or substitutes, full power and authority to do and
perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and
about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he might or could do
in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all things that each of said
attorneys-in-fact and agents, or his or their substitute or substitutes, may
lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof. This Power of Attorney may be
executed in multiple counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original
with respect to the person executing it.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has hereunto set his or her hand as of
this 25th day of September, 2001.



<TABLE>
<S>                                                           <C>
                /s/ Monte R. Black                                             /s/ Richard R. Kahle
----------------------------------------------------            ----------------------------------------------------
                  Monte R. Black                                                 Richard R. Kahle
      Chairman of the Board of Directors and                          Vice President, Chief Financial Officer
                 Officer; Director                                                 and Treasurer
              Chief Executive Officer                              (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)
           (Principal Executive Officer)


               /s/ Pete A. Klisares                                            /s/ Timothy A. Walsh
----------------------------------------------------            ----------------------------------------------------
                 Pete A. Klisares                                                Timothy A. Walsh
                     Director                                                        Director


                /s/ Alfred Friedman                                                /s/ Jim Mock
----------------------------------------------------            ----------------------------------------------------
                  Alfred Friedman                                                    Jim Mock
                     Director                                           Vice President & General Manager of
                                                                   Industrial Cleaning and Facility Maintenance

                /s/ J. Craig Wright
----------------------------------------------------
                  J. Craig Wright
                     Director
</TABLE>