Selling Big

After last season’s record breaking year, Ritchie Bros. is gearing up for another huge run, setting their sights even higher with a total Canadian sales goal of 1.1 billion dollars. It all starts in Grande Prairie, Alberta, where workers are prepping for their first auction of the year. But getting the yard ready is no easy task as winter refuses to leave. Up against unseasonal weather, tight timelines and new, unproven staff members, Grande Prairie needs to buckle down and get this season started with a bang!

With Day One of their spring sale in the books, Grande Prairie’s looking to keep the pressure on as even more iron crosses the ramp on Day Two. Customers are already swarming as a heavy duty hydraulic excavator prepares to hit the auction ramp – but getting this piece of iron ready takes days and days of prep and a last minute issue could prove disastrous for potential bids. With a two-day sales goal of 37 million dollars on the line, Grande Prairie must battle through last minute issues to make it to the finish line.

In rural Westlock, Alberta, an entire community has come together to make this off-site sale a reality. After an unexpected tragedy struck the Adair family and forced them to sell their farm, the community pitched in to get the job done. Now, as Ritchie Bros. pulls into town, there’s a host of quality farm gear that’s just waiting to go to the highest bidder. And with air seeders, swathers, tractor trailers and air drills set to sell, the crew hopes to bring in top dollar for the family.

With the agricultural sale season well underway, teams in Alberta and Saskatchewan are busy setting up two very different auctions. In Beaumont, Alberta, the Lavigne family is preparing to sell off the family farm after decades in the business while over in Sovereign, Saskatchewan, Trevor Winney is looking to downsize his massive farming outfit. With the goal of getting top dollar for their consignors, crews won’t let bad weather and unseasoned bidders hold them back. Two provinces, two auctions, and no room for error.

If there’s one thing Edmonton’s known for, it’s big auctions! And this year’s spring sale is no exception. With the site’s current three-day sales record sitting at 109 million dollars, staff are looking to blow that figure out of the water with the biggest auction to ever hit Canada. The yard is packed; the crowd is ready; and with massive late model D11 dozers and a bevy of water trucks, the big money is sure to roll in come auction time.

The diesel fumes are in the air as the second day of Edmonton’s spring sale roars to life. The yard is packed to the gills with 6,000 lots, but getting that amount of iron to the ramp on time is pushing yard workers to their limits. For Senior Vice President Kevin Tink, this year’s sale is especially important as he prepares to concentrate solely on his auctioneering responsibilities in the fall, and breaking the site’s 109 million dollar record would be the perfect send off. Can crews keep the momentum going on their way to a record-breaking final tally?

It’s the third and final day of Edmonton’s spring sale and weeks of hard work all come down to this. After a gigantic Day Two which saw multiple site records fall, it’s time to dig deep for the final push.

On the east coast of Canada, Truro, Nova Scotia stands as the lone Ritchie Bros. site in the region. But with numerous pieces of high quality construction, transportation and other equipment just waiting to be sold, sales have been steadily growing for the past few years. Now, Truro’s hoping to put on another big auction – but with a massive storm forecasted to hit on auction day, will the weather dampen the results?

At Ritchie Bros.’ picturesque site in Chilliwack, British Columbia workers are busy putting the final touches on an auction with a truly West Coast flavour. While a berry harvester should garner the attention of the many blueberry farmers in the region, it’s a 1940’s antique tugboat that has staff intrigued. Built during World War II, this tugboat is a piece of British Columbia history and one of the most unique pieces the company has ever sold in Canada. Add a custom-built motorcycle to the mix and Chilliwack is poised to pull off this massive sale in style.

After three generations of farming, the Wolf family of Spruce View, Alberta has decided to sell their family farm and business. While their high-quality agricultural gear and choice pieces of land should bring in big numbers, it’s a herd of 200 cow-calf pairs that makes this auction unique. Auctioning off this size of a herd will be a true test for the team.

Northern Ontario is in for a rare treat as Ritchie Bros. heads to Thunder Bay for its first auction in seven years. With some of the shiniest logging and mining gear in the country, this sale is expected to reel in the customers and the big money. From late model rock trucks to an almost brand new T880 tractor trailer, the buzz is growing and this off-site sale could prove to be the biggest of the season.