May 2009 Vol. 236 No. 5

Features

Ritchie Bros. Houston Grand Opening Auction Draws 4,440 Bidders And $66 Million In Sales

Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers recently celebrated the Grand Opening of its new permanent auction site in Houston (15500 Eastex Freeway) with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on March 25 during day-one of a three-day unreserved industrial equipment auction.

Ritchie Bros. sold US$66 million of heavy equipment and trucks during the Grand Opening auction that attracted more than 4,400 on-site and online bidders from 49 countries, including 48 U.S. states. Buyers from outside Texas purchased $34 million of equipment (52 percent of the total), including US$17 million purchased by customers from outside the United States (25 percent).

“Our Grand Opening auction was a tremendous success: we welcomed a record number of bidders from around the world to Houston, including more than 1,000 first-time customers, and delivered record results for our consignors,” said Ritchie Bros. Regional Manager Alan McVicker. “The size and location of our new site makes it perfect for our local and international customers. We’ve got exceptional highway visibility, a yard that’s large enough to display a wide range of equipment and close proximity to one of the world’s largest ports. Record crowds show there are lots of people working around the world; they come to our auctions because we have the equipment they need and we sell it all in a fair, transparent manner. Our ability to consistently attract large, diverse bidding audiences gives equipment owners the confidence to sell their surplus assets through us.”

Pipeline Machinery International, a Caterpillar dealer, has sold equipment in Ritchie Bros. auctions in Fort Worth, Houston, Edmonton and Dubai as part of their plan to keep their equipment current and up-to-date. They had millions of dollars worth of crawler tractors, hydraulic excavators and pipe layers in the Houston auction.

“Traditionally we haven’t sold too much equipment in the Ritchie Bros. Houston location, but now with a state-of-the-art new auction facility we see Houston as being a great place to do business,” said Tony Fernandez, vice president of Pipeline Machinery. “With the ports of Galveston and Houston
located so close to the yard, and the easy access from the airports, it’s obvious that the new site is helping to attract more buyers and consignors. A great crowd was at the auction and our equipment prices were very good.”