MarkKucksnamedSupplierDiversityAdvocateoftheYear
News
Awards season is in full swing for Hutchies, and this is one we're particularly proud of.
Mark Kucks has been named Supplier Diversity Advocate of the Year at the 2026 Supplier Diversity Awards, run by Supply Nation. The event was held at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre in WA, with around 1,300 people in attendance.
It's a well-earned nod to 14 years of quiet, consistent work building genuine partnerships with Indigenous businesses.
Accepting the award on stage, Mark kept it typically humble:
MarkKucks,IndigenousandSocialProcurementManager,HutchinsonBuilders"It's an honour and a privilege to stand in front of you and accept this award. First thing, I'd just like to thank Scott and Jack Hutchinson for having faith in me to do what I thought was right in the way we go about things at Hutchies. I'd also like to thank my wife, Catriona, for keeping me humble and sane. And I'd also like to thank the more than 300 Indigenous businesses that have put their trust in Hutchies to look after them and do the right thing by them."
From targets to real change
Mark's approach has always been about impact, not optics. He has helped move Hutchies away from meaningless procurement targets and towards embedding these practices into the way we do business.
That shift is driving real change. Instead of chasing a number, we focus on relationships and culturally safe introductions. We structure work so Indigenous suppliers can genuinely access it and grow with us.
The results speak for themselves
The proof is in the partnerships. Through our Statim Yaga program, Hutchies worked with 84 Supply Nation Indigenous suppliers in 2025, up from 82 the year before.
The value of those contracts reached $33,028,557 in 2025, up from $30,817,367 in 2024. Contracts from Indigenous suppliers now make up make up around $33 million of our procurement spend, up 10% or $3 million in the previous year.
We've also chaired the Indigenous Participation in Construction Committee (IPCC) in Queensland. This committee brings builders, government and Indigenous business representatives together, to lift participation across the whole industry.
A night that showed the scale
Jack Hutchinson Jnr and Jamie Coe joined Mark in Perth, and it was great to see the scale of the event up close.
It was terrific to have Jack there to soak up the atmosphere and emotion, and to see what a big deal this is. The likes of Qantas, BHP, Telstra, Rio Tinto and the big four banks were all part of the night. That shows how far supplier diversity has come.
Mark was also interviewed by SBS and NITV News on the night. Speaking on camera, Mark reflected on how far this work has come at Hutchies. $200,000 worth of contracts with Indigenous businesses in a year. These days, we do close to $1,000,000 a week.
"So yeah, my goal is go bigger and better."
You can watch the full broadcast segment on the SBS On Demand website.
A people-first business, since 1912
None of this is a one-off. Long-term relationships have sustained Hutchies since 1912, and that people-first approach shapes how we work with Indigenous partners.
Congratulations, Mark. This one's thoroughly deserved.