GovPlanet expands services with first-ever live auction

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Aug 22, 2018, 07:00 ET

Leveraging the live auction expertise of Ritchie Bros. and online prowess of IronPlanet, GovPlanet now offers state and local governments the best of both worlds

PLEASANTON, CA, Aug. 22, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - On September 5, GovPlanet will host its first-ever live auction, for the Pennsylvania Department of General Services, selling more than 350 equipment items and trucks without reserves in a single day. Highlights include excavators, dump trucks, paving rollers, snow plows, stone chippers, wheel and backhoe loaders, lights, mowers, and more.

The live, onsite auction will be held at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, PA (2300 North Cameron St.). The auction is open to the public and registration to bid is free. Pre-registration and the ability to post bids online begin August 22. In-person inspections and registrations will be held on September 3 and 4 at the Farm Show Complex. During that same time, interested buyers can also preview the vehicles that will be onsite. The heavy equipment auction will be simulcast on September 5 allowing online and in-person participants to bid against each other in real time.

"We are excited to hold our very first live, onsite GovPlanet auction, expanding the services we offer state and local governments to best meet their dispersal needs," said Kevin O'Donnell, Vice President, Government Business Development, Ritchie Bros. "We launched the GovPlanet brand in 2014 and have helped many state and local government agencies sell surplus assets through our regular Wednesday online auctions. Now, as part of the Ritchie Bros. family we can leverage Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers' extensive live auction expertise to offer our customers the best of both worlds."

GovPlanet is most well-known for selling assets for the U.S. Department of Defense—everything from Humvees, cargo trucks, and utility trailers, as well as non-rolling stock items—but over the past four years GovPlanet has also sold thousands of items for state and local government agencies, including the Commonwealth of Virginia; Ohio Department of Transportation; Suffolk County, NY; City of Bellevue, WA; City of Fresno, CA; the Lower Colorado River Authority; and many more.

"GovPlanet has been a great partner in helping us to ensure that we are getting the best return on our investment for the taxpayers of Pennsylvania – as evidenced by our ability to double our sales figures over the past two years," said Matt Blascovich, Division Chief for State Surplus & Recycling at the Pennsylvania Department of General Services. "The GovPlanet staff is experienced, knowledgeable and always willing to help."

Specific equipment highlights in the September 5 live auction include:

46 Sterling L8500 single-axle dump trucks
19 Mack CV713 twin-axle dump trucks
13 Mack RD688S twin-axle dump trucks
Three Mack CV713 tri-axle dump trucks
14 Komatsu WA250-5L wheel loaders
Nine JCB 426Z wheel loaders
Six JCB 436Z wheel loaders
Three Case 621E wheel loaders

For more information about the September 5 auction and all other GovPlanet events, visit GovPlanet.com.

About GovPlanet:
GovPlanet, a Ritchie Bros. solution, was launched in 2014 to address the specialized equipment disposition needs of public entities, from federal, including military, to state, local and municipal. Each week, on average, GovPlanet draws close to 90,000 attendees to its online auctions. Items go into preview two weeks in advance and bidders can view photos, video and inspection reports. All items sold on GovPlanet have been inspected and come with IronPlanet's exclusive IronClad Assurance^® equipment condition certifications, which give bidders the confidence to buy online from anywhere in the world.

About Ritchie Bros.:
Established in 1958, Ritchie Bros. (NYSE and TSX: RBA) is a global asset management and disposition company, offering customers end-to-end solutions for buying and selling used heavy equipment, trucks and other assets. Operating in a multitude of sectors, including construction, transportation, agriculture, energy, oil and gas, mining, and forestry, the company's selling channels include: Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, the world's largest industrial auctioneer offers live auction events with online bidding; IronPlanet, an online marketplace with featured weekly auctions and providing its exclusive IronClad Assurance^® equipment condition certification; Marketplace^e, an online marketplace offering multiple price and timing options; Mascus, a leading European online equipment listing service; and Ritchie Bros. Private Treaty, offering privately negotiated sales. The company also offers sector-specific solutions including GovPlanet, TruckPlanet, Kruse Energy Auctioneers, and Cat^®auctions, plus equipment financing and leasing through Ritchie Bros. Financial Services. For more information about the unprecedented choice provided by Ritchie Bros., visit RitchieBros.com.