Auction firm Ritchie Bros breaks sales record

Auction specialist 318 Ritchie Bros has sold over US$44 million of equipment at a sale in Fort Worth, Texas. According to the firm, site records for registered bidders and online bidders were set as more than 3,100 heavy equipment items and trucks were sold during the two-day heavy equipment auction at Fort Worth. New auction site records were set for total registered bidders with more than 3,900 and total online bidders, in excess of 2,300. "This auction offered one of the largest quantities of high-quality late-model equipment that I have seen at our auctions here in Fort Worth," said Adam Kawulok, regional sales manager, Ritchie Bros Auctioneers. People from more than 60 countries including 48 US states, nine Canadian provinces and one Canadian territory, registered to bid in person or online in real time at the auction. Bidders from outside Texas purchased more than US$24 million, some 55% of total gross auction proceeds. More than 2,300 of the bidders taking part in the auction registered to bid online and purchased more than US$19 million of equipment online, some 43% of total gross auction proceeds.