Ritchie Bros. Holds Grand Opening Auction at New Washington Facility

June 15, 2012—Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers officially opened its new 37,000-square-foot auction building in Chehalis, Wash., yesterday, during a multi-million dollar grand opening unreserved equipment auction. More than 2,700 bidders from 40 countries, including 43 states, registered on site or online to participate in yesterday's unreserved public auction, which featured more than 2,300 heavy equipment and transportation items. The new facility, located on 100 developed acres, replaces the company's former auction site in Olympia, Wash.

 

"This facility represents a major expansion of the business possibilities for Ritchie Bros. in Washington State," said Senator Dan Swecker, before he cut the official grand opening ribbon in front of the crowd on auction day. "We are fortunate that Ritchie Bros. will continue to provide much needed full-time and part-time jobs in addition to other job opportunities as the operation expands. It will also provide a valuable revenue stream for state and local governments."

 

"We had a great turn out to our grand opening auction and welcomed a large and diverse bidding crowd. People registered from as far away as Indonesia, Germany, and Peru," said Brad Maas, regional sales manager for Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers. "We look forward to continuing to provide a world-class operation from our newer and expanded site to our customers in the Pacific Northwest and beyond for many years to come."

 

"We really like this location in Chehalis," said Bob Jonas, president of Affordable Equipment Sales & Rentals in Wilsonville, Ore. He buys and sells equipment at Ritchie Bros. auctions and was a consignor in yesterday's auction. "The location is perfect—right off the I-5 and closer to home for me. It's great that all the equipment is in one yard now and there's a more efficient equipment check-in procedure here. As always, I appreciate the global exposure that Ritchie Bros. brings and this new facility is great."

 

On the night prior to the auction, Ritchie Bros. held a charity auction during the grand opening reception at the Chehalis auction site. The auction generated close to $12,000, and all proceeds were donated to the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Southwest Washington.