Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers to conduct complete farm equipment dispersal for Harry Singh & Sons in Oceanside, CA

140+ farm machines and trucks will be sold to the highest bidders on auction day

OCEANSIDE, CA, Sept. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ - Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (NYSE and TSX: RBA), the world's largest industrial auctioneer, will conduct a complete dispersal auction for Harry Singh & Sons in Oceanside, California on September 24, 2011. Harry Singh & Sons is a multigenerational family-owned company and one of the largest suppliers of vine-ripened tomatoes in the United States. More than 140 farm equipment items and trucks will be sold to the highest bidders on auction day—regardless of price. There are no minimum bids or reserve prices. Bids can be placed in person at the auction, online in real time at www.rbauction.com or by proxy.

Harry Singh & Sons has been growing tomatoes in Oceanside, CA for 70 years. Founded by Harry Singh Sr. in 1940 and then passed onto his son Harry Singh Jr., the farm is now managed by a third generation of Singh family siblings—brothers Krishna, Priya, Omar and David Singh. In an average year, the farm produces about 4.5 million cartons of tomatoes.

The complete dispersal auction includes 10 John Deere MFWD agricultural tractors, sprayers and spreading equipment, pull scrapers, plows, crawler tractors, and a dump truck, loader backhoe, hydraulic excavator and skid steer loader. The auction also features a selection of utility, pickup, flatbed, water and service trucks.

"All of the equipment we are selling in the auction was purchased new and has only been used on our farm," said Krishna Singh, General Manager, Harry Singh & Sons. "We've taken great pride in making sure it is well-maintained and in good working condition, including training our operators on how to handle, maintain and service the equipment year after year in-house."

Harry Singh & Sons is currently restructuring and will cease production for the remainder of 2011.

"For more than 70 years we have been honored to provide the marketplace with outstanding produce and would like to thank all our business partners, associates and neighbours in the community of Oceanside for their ongoing support. They have enabled us to grow and provide quality products to our customers all these years," said Mr. Singh. "In the coming year, we plan to explore all our options in an effort to reorganize the business and eventually resume farming."

Ritchie Bros. is providing a free shuttle bus from its Los Angeles auction site (765 West Rider Street, Perris) to the Oceanside auction at 7:15 a.m. on September 24 (returning 45 minutes after the auction ends). To reserve a seat on the shuttle bus, phone 951.940.9441.

"We're pleased that we can help the Singh family by bringing our professional auction services right to their property," adds Joe Trovero, Area Manager, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers. "This auction is a unique opportunity for us to showcase our services and what we are about to the agricultural community in Southern California."

On a calendar currently listing over 90 auctions, Ritchie Bros. is also conducting an unreserved public auction at its permanent auction site in Los Angeles on September 23 (the day before the Oceanside auction), featuring a large amount of heavy equipment and trucks.

Oceanside auction details:

• Location: 5780 W. Mission Ave., Oceanside, CA 92051
• Time and date: Saturday, September 24, 2011 starting at 9:00 a.m.
• Phone for information: +1.951.940.9441
• The auction is open to the public; registration to bid is free
• Three ways to register and bid:
• In person at the auction site
• Online in real time at rbauction.com - register online in advance; a refundable bid deposit may be required; first-time bidders should register several days before the auction
• By proxy - phone the auction site to place a proxy bid; Ritchie Bros. will bid on your behalf, up to and including the amount you specify
• Interested buyers can visit the auction site to inspect, test and compare items for themselves a week prior to the auction (between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.) straight through to auction day
• Interested buyers can also apply for pre-approved equipment financing through Ritchie Bros. Financial Services. Visit www.rbauction.com/financing for more information
• Full auction and equipment details, specifications and photos are available at www.rbauction.com

About Ritchie Bros.
Established in 1958, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (NYSE and TSX: RBA) is the world's largest industrial auctioneer, selling more equipment to on-site and online bidders than any other company in the world. Ritchie Bros. offers services that enable the world's builders to easily and confidently exchange equipment. The Company conducts hundreds of unreserved public auctions each year, selling a broad range of used and unused equipment, trucks and other assets utilized in the construction, transportation, agricultural, material handling, mining, forestry, petroleum and marine industries. Ritchie Bros. has over 110 locations in more than 25 countries, including 43 auction sites worldwide. The Company maintains a web site at www.rbauction.com and sponsors an equipment wiki at www.RitchieWiki.com.

ATTENTION MEDIA: Photos and other media resources are available for use at http://www.rbauction.com/media.
Members of the public and the media can follow Ritchie Bros. on Twitter @RitchieBros.

SOURCE Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers