CA$184+ million of equipment sold at Ritchie Bros.' biggest Canadian auction of the year

13,800 bidders from 60+ countries vied for 8,650+ items sold in four-day Edmonton, AB auction

EDMONTON, AB, May 1, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Ritchie Bros.' April auction in Edmonton is always a big event, as thousands of people from across Canada and around the world compete for equipment consigned by top companies in Alberta. This year's auction attracted 13,800 people from 60+ countries, as 8,650+ items were sold over four days (April 25 – 28, 2017) for CA$184+ million (US$134+ million).

Approximately 66 percent of the bidders in the auction registered to participate online and purchased CA$105+ million (US$77+ million) of the equipment. Canadian buyers purchased 86 percent of the equipment, including 50 percent bought by Albertans. International buyers purchased 14 percent, from such countries as Finland, New Zealand, and Japan.

"As activity levels are picking up in the Alberta market, and spring work projects get underway, we witnessed huge crowds and positive pricing across all equipment categories this week at our four-day Edmonton auction," said Brian Glenn, Senior Vice President, Ritchie Bros. "Western Canadian buyers outpaced all others, demonstrating brewing confidence in the oil and gas sector. Last week's auction was a display of best-in-class customer service, as the team in Edmonton delivered solid returns for the hundreds of consignors who put their trust in Ritchie Bros."

Equipment in the auction was sold for 1,190+ owners—a new site record. Highlights included 235+ excavators, 230+ compactors, 145+ bulldozers, 85+ loaders, 70+ articulated dump trucks, 55+ motor graders, 40+ agricultural tractors, 140+ dump trucks, 135+ flatbed trucks, 90+ boom trucks, 50+ winch tractors, 180+ aerial work platforms, 250+ truck tractors, 935+ trailers, 315+ pickup trucks, and a large selection of consumer items and real estate. All items were sold unreserved, no minimum bids or reserved prices.  

Auction quick facts: Edmonton, AB (April 2017)

• Gross auction proceeds – CA$184+ million (US$134+ million)
• Amount sold to online bidders – CA$105+ million (US$77+ million) 
• Total registered bidders (onsite and online) – 13,800
• Online registered bidders – 9,450+
• Number of lots sold – 8,650+
• Number of sellers – 1,190+ *new site record    

Customer testimonials:

• "Ritchie Bros. is an exceptional bunch to work with. The whole auction experience has been extremely exciting and I'm very happy with the results," said Olga Roszko of Roszko Construction Ltd., who sold 150+ items as part of a complete dispersal of their family-run, Whitecourt, AB-based company. "I attended my first Ritchie Bros. auction 49 years ago with my husband, it's amazing to see how the company has grown and helped so many people. Everything worked out exactly as I hoped it would with this week. I'm glad I chose Ritchie Bros."
• "We've been buying and selling equipment with Ritchie Bros. since we started our company 24 years ago," said Rick Marshall, President of RM Oilfield Construction Ltd., who sold more than 270 items in the Edmonton April auction as part of a complete dispersal. "Ritchie Bros. is a Cadillac operation—very organized and thorough, excellent advertising and great customer service—when we decided to sell all our assets we never looked at anybody else. For us, it's always Ritchie Bros."
• "Selling with Ritchie Bros. is like a partnership. They do everything they can to get us the best return on our investment," said Trevor Schneider, Director of Fleet Operations for Clean Harbors, who sold 40+ items in the Edmonton auction. "We also buy equipment from Ritchie Bros. because they have everything under the sun to service the many industries we operate in. It's a one-stop shop for us."

Specific sales highlights:

• A 158±-acre property with a 4,879±-ft² Viking log home and equestrian facility sold for CA$3.1 million
• Nine Caterpillar 740B 6x6 articulated dump trucks sold for a combined CA$2.245 million
• Seven Caterpillar D8T crawler tractors sold for a combined CA$2.095 million
• Five Caterpillar 627G motor scrapers sold for a combined CA$1.815 million
• Seven Caterpillar 14M VHP Plus motor graders sold for a combined CA$1.685 million
• Two 2014 Caterpillar 336EL hydraulic excavators sold for a combined CA$760,000
• Three 2006 Caterpillar 773E rock trucks sold for a combined CA$555,000
• A 2011 Caterpillar D9T crawler tractor sold for CA$530,000
• Two 2015 Kenworth T800 tri-drive sleeper heavy haul trucks sold for a combined CA$365,000
• A 2012 Tigercat L870C feller buncher sold for CA$315,000

Consignments are now being accepted for Ritchie Bros. next Edmonton auction on June 13 – 15, 2017. To sell your equipment and/or trucks in the auction please contact the site at +1.780.955.2486.

About Ritchie Bros.

Established in 1958, Ritchie Bros. (NYSE and TSX: RBA) is the world's largest industrial auctioneer, and one of the world's largest sellers of used equipment for the construction, transportation, agriculture, energy, mining, forestry and other industries. Ritchie Bros.^TM asset management and disposition solutions include live unreserved public auctions with on-site and online bidding; EquipmentOne^TM, an online auction marketplace; Mascus, a global online equipment listing service; private negotiated sales through Ritchie Bros. Private Treaty; and a range of ancillary services, including financing and leasing through Ritchie Bros. Financial Services. Ritchie Bros. has operations in more than 15 countries, including 45 auction sites worldwide. Learn more at rbauction.com, EquipmentOne.com, mascus.com, rbauction.com/privatetreaty and rbauction.com/financing.

Photos and video for embedding in media stories are available at rbauction.com/media. 

SOURCE Ritchie Bros.