Minnesota Limited, a major pipeline contractor in the U.S. Midwest, had accumulated a large – but aging – fleet of equipment over four decades in business.

Looking to upgrade the fleet, Chris Leines turned to Ritchie Bros. – and discovered the benefits of completing a Like-Kind Exchange.

Ritchie Bros. did an excellent job preparing, marketing and selling our pipeline equipment.

Christopher Leines

Christopher Leines remembers being awed by Ritchie Bros. auctions as a boy: looking at rows upon rows of heavy equipment, neatly organized, the smell of diesel smoke in the air.

He always enjoyed attending auctions with his brother and his father Reuben, the founder of Minnesota Limited Inc., one of the largest pipeline and station contactors serving the natural gas and petroleum industries in the U.S. Midwest. Now president and CEO of the family business, Chris remains a loyal Ritchie Bros. customer – and the experience of attending an auction is no less exciting than it was 30 years ago.

"When you arrive at a Ritchie Bros. auction site – there's nothing like it," says Chris. "There's so much equipment, all lined up in rows. The auctions are just so well-organized, well-run and professional."

Over the course of its 41-year history, Minnesota Limited managed to accumulate a large fleet of trucks, trailers and pipeline construction equipment. In 2007, looking to undertake a major fleet overhaul, Chris contacted Ritchie Bros. His plan: to sell some older, underutilized equipment and use the proceeds to purchase later model machines. An added incentive: the ability to save tax dollars by completing a 1031 Like-Kind Exchange.

Over the course of its 41-year history, Minnesota Limited managed to accumulate a large fleet of trucks, trailers and pipeline construction equipment. In 2007, looking to undertake a major fleet overhaul, Chris contacted Ritchie Bros. His plan: to sell some older, underutilized equipment and use the proceeds to purchase later model machines. An added incentive: the ability to save tax dollars by completing a 1031 Like-Kind Exchange.

Christopher Leines

"Ritchie Bros. did an excellent job preparing, marketing and selling our pipeline equipment," says Chris. "Everything to do with the auction exceeded my expectations. The internet bidding brought a lot of people to the bidding arena and I met several people at the auction from India, the Middle East, Mexico, as well as several states and provinces."

For Chris, being able to access the global marketplace and achieve strong returns on his equipment is only one of the reasons he sells at Ritchie Bros. auctions. A more important factor is the service he receives and the relationships he and his family have built over the years.

"Ritchie Bros. is a first class operation, from the top down," says Chris. "The level of service and professionalism that the company offers is outstanding. Everyone we deal with at Ritchie Bros. has our best interests in mind. Dave Ritchie has really put his footprint on the company."


Written and published: 2008

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