Two decades, two sites, 150 equipment auctions and counting

In March, Ritchie Bros. will celebrate its 150th Australian auction—and Warwick Mackrell, our vice president for the region, has been there for every single one of them. Ritchie Bros. established a permanent presence in Australia with just a single site in Brisbane, Queensland in the mid-1990s.

“We only had two sales guys and one yard man back then,” Warwick says.

This year, Ritchie Bros. celebrates its 20th year of unreserved truck and equipment auctions in Australia. With a site in Brisbane, as well as a second site in Geelong, Victoria, Ritchie Bros. now hosts at least eight auctions a year in Australia—and every single auction is unreserved. In 2015, that resulted in more than 14,000 bidder registrations.

“We started small and we built one customer relationship at a time,” says Warwick. “Today, we serve as a trusted advisor for hundreds of customers across the country and into New Zealand.”

20 years of unreserved equipment auctions

Peter Delaney attended Ritchie Bros.’ first Brisbane auction—and has bought and sold at many auctions over the years.

"When Ritchie Bros. came to Australia, a lot of people said they'd never make it because no one was holding auctions without reserves here," said Peter in a 2008 interview. "But Ritchie Bros. was so far ahead of the other companies in the way they ran their auctions – so organized and professional, with no reserves and no owners bidding in. They're straight: that's why they've done so well here. The proof is in the pudding."

Back-to-back auctions in March

Ritchie Bros.’ 150th auction in Australia will take place at our Brisbane site in Yatala, QLD on March 15. More than 940 equipment items and trucks will be sold.

That same week, we’ll hold another auction—the 151st!—at our Geelong site in Corio, VIC on March 17. More than 900 items will be sold. The back-to-back auctions are a culmination of 20 years of hard work, and for Warwick, it’s a massive celebration.

“We’ve got some fantastic transport and earthmoving equipment,” says Warwick. “It’s a broad range of equipment that’s sure to meet the public’s needs. You don’t have to take my word for it though—we’ve got five days of inspection, so I’d like to encourage people to come down and have a look at the equipment and have comfort knowing what the whole machine is.”

Equipment from both auctions include:

• 95+ prime movers
• 75+ excavators
• 60+ compactors
• 190+ trailers
• And more!

Bid in person, online or by proxy

Every item will be sold on auction day, with no minimum bids or reserve prices. Bid in person, online in real time or by proxy at all Ritchie Bros. equipment auctions. Create a free account to register and bid online.

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