The company is marking four and a half decades of innovation and growth

GCG Turbochargers, a leader in the distribution and servicing of turbochargers, is celebrating its 45th anniversary this year.
The company was founded in 1979 with three dedicated staff members – Graham, Colin, and Garry – after their employer, Boustead Industries suddenly went into receivership.
The three friends concocted a plan to create a company selling the brands they were in control of at Boustead.
The three American brands; Ingersoll Rand, Jacobs Engine Brake, and AiResearch Turbo (now Garrett Motion) agreed to the business model so Graham, Colin and Garry quickly secured premises in Sydney’s suburb of Yagoona and GCG was born.
Graham left after just two months and Colin bought out Garry in 1990 to become the sole owner of the business. The same year Colin’s son, Brett, joined the company to make it a truly family-owned business.
In the time since, GCG says it has grown into an international powerhouse with more than 40 employees across four countries, and service/distribution centres in Sydney, Brisbane, and Tokyo, building a reputation for expertise, service and dependability within the automotive, transport, agricultural, and marine industries.

A journey of evolution
Back in the late 1970s and into the 1980s the turbo market in Australia was almost exclusively in transport and heavy duty diesel applications.
“The three brands GCG sold were all heavy diesel focused,” Brett said. 
“We concentrated on contract supply parts with major OEMs like Mack, Kenworth, Detroit Diesel. That was the backbone of the business in the early years.
“Early on, turbo passenger cars were rare and turbocharging in that market segment was still a very black art.”
That all changed in the 1980s, with the decade bringing with it a big shift in the Australian performance car scene, with GCG quickly pivoting to cater to the growing market.
“Suddenly we started seeing turbocharged cars becoming more popular. The likes of SAAB 99, Porsche 930, Porsche 911 led the way but it was with the early turbo performance cars from Japan that the scene really took off,” Brett said.

GCG quickly jumped onboard the new ‘sport compact’ wave, getting involved with some of the biggest names in the industry.
From D1GP and Formula Drift in Japan to Australian Drift GP and the Garrett Drift Challenge, some of the most successful drift teams started using GCG-supplied or GCG-built turbochargers.
As the sport of Time Attack racing started to gain momentum, GCG partnered up with one of the most recognised time attack drivers in the world, “Under” Suzuki, developing turbo solutions for his Pro Class Silvia S15 – the driver would go on to stand on the World Time Attack Challenge podium numerous times and is the current lap record holder at the Tsukuba Raceway.
“When the World Time Attack Challenge kicked off in Australia, we were very well positioned, with our contact in Japan, to support the event,” Brett explains.
GCG have been a part of WTAC since its inception and continues the relationship to this day as the Open Class naming rights sponsor.
“As Time Attack has continued to grow, so too has GCG’s commitment to the scene and the events,” Brett said.
“The distinctive GCG logo became a common place on the carbon-clad, bewinged time attack race cars.”
As the usage of turbochargers expanded across other forms of motorsport, so did GCG’s involvement. From off-road, rally to circuit and drag racing, GCG-built or supplied turbos can now be found on many top-ranking vehicles.

Growth and expansion
As it continued to grow, GCG moved to a new building in Condell Park in 2000 after outgrowing its first premises, with the company later expanding further to the neighbouring building as the number of stocked products increased.
In 2009 Brett was appointed to the Managing Director position, taking over from his father, with GCG stating his vision and tenacity quickly started yielding results with a string of important acquisitions and expansions.
In 2010 after seeing an opportunity in Japan, Brett took the GCG brand overseas and started GCG Turbo KK in Tokyo.
The small office quickly grew into a fully equipped and staffed, stand-alone distribution and service centre for the whole of Japan.
Meanwhile back in Australia, GCG opened another branch in Sumner, servicing Queensland and the Northern Territory, before over the next few years, GCG acquired distributorship rights for BorgWarner, Holset, IHI, Continental and Mitsubishi Turbochargers. 
Most recently the company has added a Dutch lubricants and fuel additives manufacturer – JLM – to its list of world-renowned brands. 
“Securing exclusive distributorship rights for JLM in Australia and New Zealand was a big leap forward for us. The brand has since grown at an amazing pace and is now one of the major pillars of the GCG business,” Brett said.

World-wide recognition
Held bi-annually, the Garrett Global Distributor Conference is an invitation-only event bringing together the best-performing distributors from around the world.
The highlight of the conference is the crowning of the ‘Distributor of the Year.’
GCG has been fortunate enough to win that award twice, in 2013 and in 2022, cementing its position as the leading Garrett distributor world-wide.
“For a family-owned, Australian company to go head-to-head with giant distributors from Europe, Asia and America and then to win, that’s saying something,” Brett said.
“For me personally, winning the Garrett Global Distributor of the Year award is like winning a gold medal at the Olympics. It really is that special. And we’ve done it twice!”
The company has forged strong relationships with the world’s leading turbocharger brands, offering a comprehensive range of products and services that meet the needs of a diverse clientele.
GCG explains that its commitment to quality and innovation has been recognised with numerous accolades, including two prestigious Global Distributor of The Year awards from Garrett, the world’s biggest turbocharger manufacturer.
It states these awards highlight GCG Turbo’s dedication to delivering exceptional products and services to its customers.

Investing in the future
Always the planner, Brett has a very clear vision for the coming years. 
“As we celebrate our 45th anniversary, we’re not just looking back at our achievements but also looking forward to the future,” Brett said.
“We’re investing in new technology, state-of-the-art equipment, and most importantly, in our people.
“Our team is the backbone of our success, and we are committed to providing them with the tools and resources they need to continue driving innovation and growth.”
As GCG Turbo enters its next chapter, it remains focused on expanding its global footprint, enhancing its service offerings, and continuing to build strong relationships with customers and partners around the world.
“As we continue to grow, our goal is to be a global leader in the niche market of turbo supply and service,” he said.
“For the JLM pillar, our plan is to chip away at the majors and grow by clawing little bit off them month on month, year on year.
“I believe within five years JLM can be a household name and a sought-after product at every service centre and parts reseller in Australia and NZ.”
Brett’s long-term plans are even more ambitious. 
“Within the ten years I see GCG becoming the training hub and technical centre for everything turbo,” Brett declared.
“I see knowledge as the key investment in the next 10 years and beyond as our engines and turbo systems become more and more complex.
“That’s why, above all else, I am investing in people and in improving their skills and knowledge. 
“We also have to acknowledge that over the next 10 years we will have to transition into new areas of products, based on the growing EV market.
“Thankfully our two major suppliers, Garrett and BorgWarner, are already deep into this segment, investing heavily in R&D and new technologies.”

For more information, visit www.gcg.com.au