Ritchie Bros. to sell more than 2,000 equipment items in upcoming Houston auction

June 22 - 23 auction features unique selection of equipment, including forestry gear used to clear Texas oil patches

HOUSTON, TX, June 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ - Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (NYSE and TSX: RBA), the world's largest industrial auctioneer, will conduct a multi-million dollar unreserved public auction at the Company's permanent auction site in Houston, Texas on Wednesday and Thursday, June 22 - 23, 2011. More than 2,000 heavy equipment items and trucks will be sold during the two-day auction, including a large selection of forestry and agricultural equipment. Every item will be sold to the highest bidder on auction day—regardless of price. Bids can be made in person, online in real time at www.rbauction.com or by proxy (with Ritchie Bros. bidding on behalf of the customer).

"This might be one of the most diverse selections of equipment we have ever seen in a Houston auction, including a great selection of late-model forestry equipment, which we don't get a lot of here in Texas," says Alan McVicker, Regional Manager, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers. "Most of the forestry equipment featured in the auction was originally used to clear access to local oil patches, but of course it can all be used for any variety of forestry applications. This auction also features a lot of agriculture, transportation and construction equipment—it will certainly have something for everyone."

Specific equipment highlights from the two-day Houston auction include:

• two 2010 Tigercat 724E feller bunchers
• two 2010 Bandit 3090 crawler chippers
• two 2010 Tigercat 480 crawler mulchers
• two 2009 Caterpillar 980H wheel loaders
• a 1998 Liebherr LTM160-2 200-ton all terrain crane
• a 2004 Grove GMK5120B 120-ton all terrain crane
• 38 late-model John Deere & Case agricultural tractors

Other equipment highlights include 45+ agricultural tractors, 50+ crawler tractors, 30+ hydraulic excavators, 50+ loader backhoes, 20+ wheel loaders, 15+ skid steer loaders, 15+ vibratory smooth drum rollers, 15+ trenchers, 75+ truck tractors, 30+ flatbed trucks, 90+ pickup trucks, 35+ telescopic forklifts, 50+ scissorlifts and much more.

Consignments are still being accepted; owners interested in selling equipment in the auction can contact the Houston auction site at +1.713.455.5200 to discuss their options.

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