Hundreds of heavy equipment items to be sold at Ritchie Bros.' auction in Madison, WI

Unreserved public auction features large selection of landscaping equipment from The Bruce Company of Wisconsin Inc.

MADISON, WI, May 28, 2012 /CNW/ - Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (NYSE andTSX: RBA), the world's largest industrial auctioneer, will sell hundreds of equipment items and trucks at an unreserved public auction in Madison, WI on June 5, 2012, starting at 10 a.m. Each item will be sold to the highest bidder regardless of price—without minimum bids or reserve prices. Bidders can participate in the auction in-person, online in real time at www.rbauction.com or by proxy.

"We are glad to be back conducting another unreserved public equipment auction in the Madison, WI area—our second in two years," said Danny Shepley, Regional Sales Manager, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers. "It's always a pleasure to partner up with a company like The Bruce Company who take great pride in their business, and that's evident in the quality of care they provide for their equipment."

More than 200 of the equipment items featured in the auction will be sold for The Bruce Company of Wisconsin Inc. as part of a fleet reduction of their golf course and landscape construction division. Equipment includes wheel loaders, crawler tractors, skid steer loaders, utility tractors, dump trucks, pickup trucks, attachments and more.

"We have a sound equipment maintenance program with our company so all of the equipment we are selling in the auction has been cared for very well," said Bliss Nicholson, President of The Bruce Company of Wisconsin Inc. "By Ritchie Bros. setting up an off-site auction in the Madison area it provides great convenience for potential local buyers who don't have to travel a great distance to find quality used equipment. This is our first time selling with Ritchie Bros. and leading up to the auction they have done a great job—I can't wait until auction day."

The Bruce Company was founded in 1952 and has grown to become one of the largest landscape contractors in the United States. Offering complete design/build landscape services for commercial and residential properties, The Bruce Company is based in Middleton, WI with offices in Racine and Milwaukee. The company has also built and modeled golf courses across the country, including courses designed by Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino and others.

The Madison, WI auction will be held in Deforest, WI (approximately 35 minutes North of Madison) at 5338 Norway Grove School Rd. Equipment will be available for inspection at the site the day before the auction. Consignments are still being accepted; anyone interested in selling their equipment can contact +1.608.846.0397.

Auction details:

• Auction location: 5338 Norway Grove School Rd., Deforest, WI, 53532
• Telephone: [phone]
• Time and date: Tuesday, June 5, 2012 (starting at 10 a.m. local time)
• The auction is open to the public; registration to bid is free; a refundable bid deposit may be required
• How to register and bid:
• In person at the auction site
• Online at rbauction.com - register in advance and bid online in real time on auction day; a refundable bid deposit may be required; first-time bidders should register several days in advance of the auction
• By proxy - phone the auction site to place a proxy bid
• Interested buyers can come to the auction site to inspect, test and compare items ahead of the auction

About Ritchie Bros.
Established in 1958, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (NYSE andTSX: RBA) is the world's largest industrial auctioneer, selling more equipment to on-site and online bidders than any other company in the world. Ritchie Bros. offers services that enable the world's builders to easily and confidently exchange equipment. The Company conducts hundreds of unreserved public auctions each year, selling a broad range of used and unused equipment, trucks and other assets utilized in the construction, transportation, agricultural, material handling, mining, forestry, petroleum and marine industries. Ritchie Bros. has over 110 locations in more than 25 countries, including 44 auction sites worldwide. The Company maintains a web site at www.rbauction.com and sponsors an equipment wiki at www.RitchieWiki.com

ATTENTION MEDIA: Photos and other media resources are available for use at http://www.rbauction.com/media.
Members of the public and the media can follow Ritchie Bros. on Twitter @RitchieBros.

Ian Malinski - Corporate Communications Specialist
Office: +1.778.331.5432
Mobile: [phone]
Email: [email protected]

Or

Danny Shepley - Regional Sales Manager
Office: +1.815.513.1021
Email: [email protected]