Tooele County and State of Utah officially welcome Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers to town
Tooele County Commission and Governor’s Office of Economic Development accompany Ritchie Bros. officials in ribbon-cutting ceremony
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, April 23, 2010
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – Tooele County Commissioners Colleen Johnson (Commission Chair) and Bruce Clegg joined COO Bob Armstrong, President Rob Mackay, Senior Vice President Steve Simpson and Area Manager Keith Spicer at the multi-million dollar Grand Opening auction conducted by Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (NYSE and TSX: RBA) in Salt Lake City, Utah yesterday. The addition of the new Salt Lake City auction site –the Company’s first in the state of Utah– marks the opening of the Company’s 22nd auction site in the US and its 41st auction site globally. Also in attendance during the Grand Opening ceremony was Gary Hart, Managing Director for the Governor’s Office of Economic Development.
More than 1,600 people from 24 countries, including 46 U.S. states and nine Canadian provinces registered to bid in person or online on more than 1,100 heavy equipment items being sold in the auction, which was held on the new 37-acre regional auction unit located 20 miles west of Salt Lake City at Salt Point Commerce Center in Lake Point.
“I’d like to congratulate Ritchie Bros. for their hospitality and loyal support to the community of Tooele over the years,” said Commissioner Bruce Clegg prior to cutting the Grand Opening ribbon on the auction ramp. “The great turnout we see here today only reflects the loyalty that Ritchie Bros. customers have for the services offered by the Company and we are very pleased that they now hold a more permanent residence in our community.”
Yesterday’s Grand Opening auction was, in part, a complete dispersal for Orem-based CCI Inc. Ken Merrell, President of CCI Inc., has been purchasing equipment at Ritchie Bros. auctions for many years. This time, he registered for the auction as a consignor as he prepared to retire from the excavation business – consigning more than 90 construction and excavation equipment items to the Salt Lake City Grand Opening auction.
"I have always been pleased by the services provided by Ritchie Bros. as a buyer," said Mr. Merrell. "As a seller – their guidance, worldwide advertising, internet marketing and equipment detailing were able to exceed all of our expectations in the bottom net return on our investment."
Bidders from as far away as Colombia, Italy and the United Arab Emirates participated either on-site or online at the Utah auction.
“Our attendance and participation records at the auction today saw a lot of international activity – both on-site and online. This goes to show that our bidders are taking advantage of our online bidding service and still like the advantage of our convenient location near Salt Lake City International Airport,” added Keith Spicer, Ritchie Bros. Area Manager for the state of Utah. “We look forward to welcoming our local and international customers at our future, more frequent auctions, from our new location in Salt Lake City.”
The next Salt Lake City auction is scheduled for the month of June. For more information about this auction or any Ritchie Bros. auction around the world, visit www.rbauction.com.
ATTN MEDIA (Photos): Grand Opening ribbon cutting and auction photos are available for you to download at www.rbauction.com/media.
About Ritchie Bros.
Established in 1958, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (NYSE and TSX: RBA) is the world’s largest industrial auctioneer, selling more equipment to on-site and online bidders than any other company in the world. The Company has over 110 locations in more than 25 countries, including 41 auction sites worldwide. Ritchie Bros. sells, through unreserved public auctions, a broad range of used and unused industrial assets, including equipment, trucks and other assets utilized in the construction, transportation, agricultural, material handling, mining, forestry, petroleum and marine industries. The Company maintains a web site at www.rbauction.com and sponsors an equipment wiki at www.RitchieWiki.com.
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For more information contact:
Kim Schulz, Manager, Corporate Communications, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers
Phone: +1.778.331.5442 or email kschulz@rbauction.com
Or
Keith Spicer, Regional Manager, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers
Salt Lake City auction site tel: +1.435.843.4260