Ritchie Bros. to conduct unreserved public auction in conjunction with Sunbelt Ag Expo on October 19, 2012

Consignments now being accepted—17 2011 John Deere MFWD tractors already featured in the auction

MOULTRIE, GA, Aug. 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ - Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (NYSE and TSX: RBA), the world's largest auctioneer of farm, construction and other heavy equipment, will conduct an unreserved public auction in conjunction with the Sunbelt Ag Expo in Moultrie, GA on October 19, 2012. A large selection of agricultural equipment will be sold in the auction, including 17 2011 John Deere MFWD tractors—each item will be sold to the highest bidder regardless of price—without minimum bids or reserve prices. Bidders can participate in the auction in-person, online in real time at www.rbauction.com or by proxy.

"Conducting auctions in conjunction with trade shows provides great convenience for our customers—they can participate and network at the Sunbelt Ag Expo and then stay for our auction and purchase all the equipment they need in a single trip," said Darrin Hogeboom, Regional Sales Manager, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers. "It also gets more eyes on the equipment of our sellers—earlier this year we held a Tipton, CA auction in conjunction with the World Ag Expo and it attracted more bidders than the site had ever seen, which resulted in record gross auction proceeds for the site."

The Sunbelt Ag Expo will take place on October 16 - 18, 2012 and annually attracts close to 100,000 visitors. Ritchie Bros. will be participating in the Expo (Booth #189 & 190, Section B-4) and conducting its unreserved auction the day after the Expo on Friday, October 19, starting at 9 a.m.

"We are excited to have Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers as an exhibitor at the 2012 Sunbelt Ag Expo—their experience and knowledge of the agricultural industry makes them a true asset to our event," said Chip Blalock, Executive Director of the Sunbelt Ag Expo. "Over our three day event—from October 16 through 18—visitors of the Sunbelt Ag Expo will explore new product lines and capitalize on educational opportunities from university and college research specialists. Then, to cap the week off, attendees can head over to Ritchie Bros. on October 19 and participate in their unreserved auction. We hope it will prove to be a very informative and successful week for the North American agricultural industry."

To sell equipment in the October 19 Moultrie, GA auction contact the Ritchie Bros. Atlanta auction site at +1.770.304.3355.

Auction details:

• Auction location: Welsh St. & West Yount St., Moultrie, GA
• Auction site phone: +1.770.304.3355
• Time and date: October 19, 2012 starting at 9:00 a.m. (local time)
• Every auction is open to the public; registration to bid is free; a refundable bid deposit may be required
• How to register and bid:
• In person at the auction site
• Online at rbauction.com - register in advance and bid online in real time on auction day; a refundable bid deposit may be required; first-time online bidders should register several days in advance of the auction
• By proxy - phone the auction site to place a proxy bid

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 44 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