GCG Turbochargers Australia stands tall as an industry leader in the highly competitive forced induction product category

Spearheading the charge is Paul Franks, the General Manager of GCG Turbos and JLM Lubricants Australia.
For more than eight years, Paul has steered GCG’s continued growth while staying true to the Lloyd family’s core values of passion and quality upon which the company was founded more than four decades ago.
Moving to Australia from southeast London at the age of 15, Paul brought with him a deep enthusiasm for all things automotive – something instilled by his father, who was heavily involved in racing.
“I grew up in motorsport,” Paul said proudly. “My dad raced short circuit ovals in the 70s and started a company with his engine builder called Boss Racing. That company still operates and races today.”
This early exposure laid the foundation for Paul’s future career.
Determined to work in motorsport, he pursued an apprenticeship as an auto electrician, following his father’s advice that “one day cars will have computers on them.”
This vision proved true, with Paul stating it has given him a unique edge which still resonates in his leadership of GCG, which began in 2016 – although his relationship with the company was actually born long before he officially joined the team.
In the late 90s, Paul was instrumental in advertising deals for Fast Fours and Rotaries Magazine, where he helped bring GCG’s name into the spotlight. Years later, when the opportunity arose, joining GCG as Operations Manager seemed the perfect fit.
“We’ve created a culture where people stay because they love what they do,” said Paul, reflecting on the culture of GCG.
“We’ve got a guy who started in the warehouse packing boxes when he was 18, and now he’s a 35-year-old gun salesman. They stick around because they’re car guys, and they’re into it.”
GCG Turbochargers isn’t just about selling products; it is about expertise, says Paul.

“We are the turbo experts,” he said.
“We have made it our mission to cultivate a culture where every team member understands turbochargers and lives and breathes the technology – as you can’t make that claim and have them uneducated.
“We invest heavily in our employees, sending staff to Europe for specialised training with Garrett and to the Netherlands to understand the chemical intricacies of JLM products. The result is a knowledgeable team that customers can trust.”
GCG holds weekly sales meetings to foster collaboration and continuous improvement, a practice that Paul introduced when he joined the company.
“Every Wednesday morning, we start work early, and our entire sales team dial in for our weekly meeting before the phones start ringing,” Paul said.
“These meetings aren’t just about reviewing sales figures. They provide an open forum for the team to share insights and problem-solve together.
“There’s no hierarchy in that meeting because we rotate the facilitator weekly, ensuring that everyone in the team gets to run the meeting at some point.”
Paul says this open environment encourages honest feedback and collective growth and further concretes GCG’s reputation as “the experts in the field.”
GCG Turbochargers has come a long way from its humble beginnings in 1979, when three friends, Graham, Colin and Gary, banded together to launch the company.
Today, GCG has branches across Australia, including a recently opened office in Brisbane, and continues to expand to meet market demands.
Paul believes that attracting the right talent is critical to GCG’s success.
“One of our successes is attracting the right people. We’ve got guys who’ve been building turbos for 35 years. Our workshop foreman did his apprenticeship here, and now he’s 40. The culture we’ve built keeps them here,” he said.
Paul further explains that GCG’s approach to sales is built around adding value and being consultative rather than transactional – explaining they are committed to providing real solutions to their customers’ problems, with GCG’s sales team working with customers to diagnose problems rather than just replacing broken parts.
This approach helps build trust and long-term relationships with their clients.
“In automotive parts, the turbocharger is the commodity. Anybody can look up a part number, but we know what goes wrong with each application,” Paul said.
“We have scripts in place, it is not just, ‘How soon do you want it?’ It is about understanding the actual part number, the issue, and what might have caused the problem in the first place.”

Moreover, GCG has diversified its approach to meet customer needs at multiple levels, whether selling to large resellers or dealing directly with workshops and end-users.
This versatility in distribution allows them to reach a wider audience while maintaining quality service, positioning them as a one-stop shop for all things turbo, says Paul, who states that while the automotive industry is changing rapidly, GCG Turbochargers knows the opportunities and challenges ahead.
“People always ask me, what about all these electric cars? You sell products for internal combustion engines,” Paul said.
“The answer is easy. Every year, vehicle manufacturers reduce the capacity of internal combustion engines and offset this by adding a turbocharger.
“In addition, more and more hybrid vehicles are being manufactured with an OE turbocharger.
“As these vehicles age, those turbos will need to be rebuilt or replaced, so we are far from feeling an impact from the growing number of electric cars in the Australian car parc.”
Paul is confident that the Australian automotive aftermarket will continue to adapt and thrive, no matter the industry’s changes.
“Everyone was saying that the whole industry would die because of new car modification laws, but I knew that wasn’t the case,” Paul said, citing an example from an industry event held around 12 years ago.
“The automotive aftermarket will always find a way to adapt. If they have power units or flux capacitors or whatever, I’m going to sell it to you.”
Beyond turbochargers, GCG also manages JLM Lubricants Australia, which has grown into an essential part of the business.
“JLM complements the turbo business, but it also stands alone. We have DPF cleaning solutions, ranging from a $20 can of ReGen Plus to a full DPF cleaning system,” Paul said.
The ability to offer a wide range of products that fit within the broader turbocharging ecosystem has helped GCG maintain a competitive edge.
Paul says JLM’s product range, which includes pre-lube for turbochargers, diesel fuel system cleaners, and DPF cleaners, adds significant value to GCG’s core offerings.
For Paul and GCG, the next five years are about expansion and focusing on core competencies.
“We’ve set up a branch in Brisbane and attracted the right staff,” Paul said.
“Victoria and WA definitely have the population and turnover to put GCG branches there. Having inventory and staff on the ground is always good as you see sales immediately.”

Paul also sees continued opportunity in mastering distribution for the brands they trust while reducing complexity.
“We’ve actually dropped some brands and are focusing more on the ones we know and trust, and keep more inventory of those selected brands,” he said, while noting that GCG Turbochargers Australia remains committed to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the turbocharging world.
“Our focus on cultivating expertise, nurturing a strong workplace culture, and staying ahead of industry changes has set us apart as a leader,” Paul said.
“We question ourselves; we question each other. Nearly every week, I say to myself, no other turbo company is doing what we do.
“This relentless pursuit of excellence drives GCG forward, and it is why we remain the trusted experts for all things turbocharged across Australia.
“Whether providing the latest turbo technology or ensuring every customer leaves informed, we are prepared to meet today’s and tomorrow’s challenges head-on.”
GCG Turbochargers is also a member of the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association (AAAA), which Paul considers essential for maintaining a strong industry voice.
“There is a need for a conduit between the industry and government or legislators,” Paul explains, stating he believes the Association’s role as an unbiased mediator and technical collaborator is crucial.
“If you are in the industry, you want a gateway to talk to a legislator or get companies together to test and measure on a new model. That’s why we need the AAAA.”
Speaking with Paul, it quickly becomes apparent that his passion for the automotive industry goes beyond business – he genuinely loves cars, racing, and the engineering that makes high performance possible.
Quoting an Olympic gold medallist, he said, “if you find a job where you’re doing what you love, you’ll never have to work a day in your life. I still go home thinking, I talked to people about cars and turbos today. There’s no better job.”

To learn more about GCG Turbochargers Australia, visit www.gcg.com.au