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Ritchie Bros. auction breaks records

Apr. 28, 2014, Edmonton - Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers sold more than $143 million of trucks and heavy equipment in Edmonton, AB on April 23 - 25, 2014, making it the largest Canadian auction in the company's history. Multiple other records were broken in the auction, including new global company records for online sales (CA$64+ million), total number of registered bidders (9,400+), number of online bidders (5,500+), total number of buyers (2,600+), number of online buyers (1,400+) and number of sellers (870+), as well as a new Canadian record for number of lots sold (6,000+). Bids were made in person at the Edmonton auction site, online in real time at www.rbauction.com and by proxy.

"As a Canadian company that has been holding auctions in Alberta since the 1960s, to hold an auction of this magnitude here is something very special, something we are very proud of," said Jim Rotlisberger, Regional Sales Manager, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers. "With a record amount of equipment from a record number of sellers, the auction attracted a record number of registered bidders both on site and online, which resulted in a very active bidding environment with strong prices all three days of the auction. Thank you so much to all our amazing sellers and buyers for continuing to put their trust in Ritchie Bros. and the unreserved auction process."

More than 9,400 bidders from 49 countries, including nine Canadian provinces and all three territories, as well as 46 US states, registered to bid in person or online for the auction. More than $96 million of trucks and equipment was purchased by Alberta buyers while participants from outside Alberta purchased over $46 million for 32 per cent of total gross auction proceeds. More than 5,500 of the bidders participated online and purchased more than $64+ million of equipment online.

Equipment in the auction was sold for 870+ sellers, including a large selection of heavy equipment from Lakeshore Contracting Ltd., an Oil Sands contractor based in Fort McMurray, AB.

"I recently decided to retire from the contracting business and brought all my equipment to Ritchie Bros.' spring auction in Edmonton because it's such a big event and it turned out great—results were better than I expected," said Michael Cardinal, owner of Lakeshore Contracting. "Not only did I sell, I also bought a 2007 Robinson R44 in the auction for a helicopter company I run with my family up in Fort McMurray."

The record-setting selection of heavy equipment and trucks included 190+ excavators, 170+ compactors, 145+ crawler tractors, 80+ articulated dump trucks, 75+ loaders, 55+ agricultural tractors, 175+ truck tractors and more. Highlights from the unreserved auction include a 2013 Surefire Tridem Twin Fluid Pump Trailer on a 2012 Kenworth T800 Sleeper T/A Truck Tractor that sold for $1.5 million. A luxury equestrian property located in Bluffton, AB was another highlight, selling for $2.62 million.

The Ritchie Bros. auction calendar currently features more than 85 unreserved public auctions around the world, including the company's next unreserved public auction in Edmonton, AB, which is scheduled for June 11 - 12, 2014. Visit www.rbauction.com for a complete list of upcoming auctions.

April 28, 2014  By CNW



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