Fast and efficient auctions from your own location

Global reach, local simplicity

From surplus machinery to new investments, as the year draws to a close, many companies are reviewing their machinery fleets and balance sheets. For companies considering selling equipment, this is the ideal time to clear out underutilized machinery, free up storage space and strengthen cash flow before closing the books. In doing so, more and more companies are discovering the benefits of offsite auctions: a flexible way of selling where machines are auctioned directly from their own premises. An offsite auction offers speed, convenience and maximum visibility, without having to move your machines.

At Ritchie Bros. the auction literally comes to you. Instead of transporting all the machines to the fixed location in Moerdijk, the entire sale can take place from your own yard. Ritchie Bros. takes care of the marketing, the online bidding environment and the administrative handling, while you benefit from their worldwide network of thousands of active buyers. For companies that want to sell a large number of machines at once - for example, in the event of business closure or fleet renewal - this is an efficient and sustainable solution.

Market-based prices

A recent example shows how successful this can be. M O'Brien Group, a leading construction and rental company in Britain, together with Ritchie Bros. organized an offsite auction of more than 250 lots, including excavators, dump trucks and wheel loaders. Interest was impressive: 703 registered bidders from 48 countries participated, with 53% of the bidders and 64% of the total sale value coming from outside the UK. The results did not lie. A 2019 Cat 730C articulated hauler fetched around €195,000, while a Cat D6N bulldozer from the same year sold for around €143,000. The international reach allowed the machines to be sold at market prices, all without having to leave the site.

Completely unburdened

For founder Michael O'Brien, the decision to hold the auction on-site was strategic. “Our fleet renewal is all about efficiency and sustainability,” he says. “Partnering with Ritchie Bros. allowed us to reach buyers worldwide without the time, cost and carbon impact of transportation. For us, it was a big step forward.” From Ritchie Bros. perspective, this type of auction is also seen as a logical development. “Offsite sales like this show how we tailor our service to our customers” needs,“ says Rupert Craven, Sales Director UK & Ireland. ”We take care of everything from promotion to the bidding process, so the client can stay focused on their own business."

Transfer to next generation

Even for smaller fleets, an offsite auction can be of interest. On the recommendation of two local OEM dealers, Thierry Le Garff of French contracting company ETA Le Garff contacted Ritchie Bros. for support in ‘thinning out’ his machine fleet for a lean transfer of his business to the next generation. ‘We didn't want to spend months selling machines one at a time. With Ritchie Bros. it was quick and easy and we were well supported,’ says Le Garff. Working closely with the Ritchie Bros. team, the family chose to auction off a portion of their machines during a special online sale directly from their location in Melrand, France. This allowed them to reduce the size of the business while maximizing the sale value. The result? Over 1.3 million euros in sales, and 391 bidders from 23 countries. 

Offsite auctions combine the best of both worlds: the simplicity of selling from your own site and the power of a worldwide buyer network. Sellers save on transportation costs and time, while buyers benefit from a wide, high-quality selection of reliable equipment, often ready for immediate use.