Founded in 2013, Geared Up Culcha is an Indigenous-owned, Supply Nation Certified business specialising in PPE, workwear, uniforms, safety footwear, custom Indigenous products and branded promotional merchandise. From modest beginnings in 2013, when the company was established as a promotional products business, Geared Up Culcha has grown to become one of Australia’s leading Indigenous suppliers in the industrial safety market, distributing nationally to a wide range of clients across sectors including resources, energy, construction, logistics, aviation, education and government.
“When we started the business, it was very much from humble beginnings. I was shipping stock out of my garage at home,” says Paul Dodd, Founder and Executive Director of Geared Up Culcha, a proud Bundjalung man with kinship ties to the Wirri and Birriah First Nations of Queensland.
In 2015, Geared Up Culcha entered the industrial safety market, winning its first contracts to supply personal protective equipment (PPE) to several Tier 1 organisations across a national distribution footprint.
“It was a turning point for our business,” recalls Paul. “Those customers backed Geared Up Culcha as a small Indigenous company to supply safety products to enterprise-level organisations. But for our business, it wasn’t just about winning those contracts, we had to then prove to the clients that we were up to the job. And we’re extremely proud that those customers are still on our books today.”
This led to a period of sustained growth and expansion for Geared Up Culcha, culminating in the investment in and implementation of a new, custom-made NetSuite Oracle enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, and a move to a larger warehouse and distribution facility in Meanjin-Brisbane, complete with a state-of-the-art embellishment centre capable of decorating up to 300 garments per day. In addition, the business has recently re-established an office in Naarm-Melbourne, with the opening of a new location on Bunurong and Wurundjeri Country affirming the Geared Up Culcha’s commitment to its national customer base.
“We’re always proud to say as an Indigenous business that we have our own ‘bricks and clicks’,” says Paul. “We run our operations out of our own facilities, servicing customers nationwide. We have our own ERP, administer our own systems, and manage our own supply chains.”
In 2021, Blackwoods, Australia’s largest industrial and safety products supplier, and part of the Wesfarmers Industrial & Safety Group (WIS), acquired a minority ownership share in Geared Up Culcha following the departure of Paul’s original partner in the business. Prior to this, Blackwoods and Geared Up Culcha had a longstanding mutual supply relationship dating back to 2013. Blackwoods’ acquisition of a minority stake in Geared Up Culcha was, according to Paul Dodd: “the culmination of a long-term relationship built on respect, integrity, and a common cause.”
Geared Up Culcha remains an independent Indigenous-owned and operated business, with its strategic partnership with Blackwoods offering greater logistical capability through Blackwoods’ national network of over 50 distribution centres and regional branches. This allows for a more responsive stocking arrangement where needed, to meet client needs for priority projects.
“We’re proud of our heritage as an Indigenous business. Over one-third of our team members identify as Indigenous, and in over twelve years of operations, the business has welcomed over 20 Indigenous trainees through its doors, some of whom remained with the business as full-time employees. It’s very important to us that First Nations people have a pathway into the workforce,” says Paul Dodd.
Building on these values, Geared Up Culcha has entered into a fundraising agreement with the Cowboys Community Foundation, an ACNC-registered charity based in Queensland, and the charity arm of the North Queensland Cowboys NRL club. The foundation delivers outcome-driven community programs that remove geographic, health, cultural and economic barriers that stand in the way of equitable access to employment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
For Geared Up Culcha, it’s a cause that is central to the core values of its business. “Employment means empowerment, and helps overcome the disadvantages faced by Indigenous Australians, who have historically experienced obstacles to accessing education and employment,” says Paul Dodd. “The Cowboys Community Foundation aligns with our vision of creating pathways to meaningful work for First Nations people.”
In 2025, Geared Up Culcha launched its first own-brand products in a range of premium 100% silicone sealants under its new GUC Industrial® brand. Designed specifically for Australian industry, the silicones project is the company’s first foray into sourcing its own product, and part of a wider strategic direction to vertically integrate its supply chain and make Geared Up Culcha more competitive as a supplier.
“We’ve always managed our own supply chains and distribution networks, but we want to be more than just resellers – we are building capability to bring our own products to market,” says Paul. “It’s about being targeted and identifying market gaps where we can supply a quality product while at the same time offering our customers a meaningful and authentic Indigenous product supply opportunity.”
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