Ritchie Bros. to conduct third annual unreserved agricultural auction at
Podolinsky Equipment in Petrolia, ON

More than 90 late-model agricultural tractors to be sold with no minimums

PETROLIA, ON, Dec. 7 /CNW/ - Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (NYSE andTSX: RBA), the world's largest industrial auctioneer, is returning to Petrolia for the third consecutive year to conduct an unreserved public agricultural auction at Podolinsky Equipment, a local John Deere dealership. The auction will be held on December 11, 2009 at 9:00 a.m. as part of Farmer Information Days, an annual mini-trade fair hosted by Podolinsky Equipment since 1985.

"We've developed a good business relationship with Podolinsky Equipment in Petrolia over the last three years - since we were invited to hold our first unreserved auction there in December 2007," said Harm Spangenberg, Agricultural Territory Manager, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers. "In this upcoming auction we've got a very large quantity of late-model agricultural tractors. It will be one of the best agricultural auctions we've had in Ontario in more than a decade."

More than 200 items - from Podolinksy and over 20 other equipment owners - will be sold to the highest bidders on auction day, with no minimum bids or reserve prices. Equipment being sold includes more than 90 late-model, low-hour 2WD, 4WD and MFWD agricultural tractors from John Deere and other manufacturers - including a 2007 John Deere 9530 4WD tractor and a 2009 John Deere 8130 4WD tractor. The auction also features a number of unused tractors by Branson. Additional items being sold on auction day are combines, utility tractors, headers, skid steer loaders and a large selection of skid steer attachments. Equipment will continue to be added to the auction daily, right up to sale day.

Podolinksy Equipment, a family-owned business based in Petrolia, has been selling and servicing John Deere equipment to farmers in Lambton County since 1964. The December 11th auction will be held at the Podolinsky Equipment store (6057 Petrolia Line) in Petrolia, ON. Equipment consignments for the Petrolia auction are still being accepted; owners interested in selling their equipment in the auction can contact Ritchie Bros. at +1.519.844.2054.

Interested buyers can register at the Petrolia auction site a few days prior to auction day or on auction day, as well as over the internet if they plan on bidding and buying equipment online. A proxy bid can also be placed before auction day by contacting the Petrolia auction site at +1.519.844.2054

Ritchie Bros. conducts several off-site auctions throughout Ontario every year, as well as up to five regular auctions each year at its permanent auction site in Bolton, Ontario and its new permanent auction site in London , Ontario, which opened in April 2009 .

    
    Auction details
    ---------------
    -   Location: Podolinsky Equipment Ltd., 6057 Petrolia Line, RRNo.1,
        Petrolia, ON
    -   Petrolia auction site tel: [phone]
    -   Date and time: Friday, December 11, 2009, starting at 9:00 a.m.
    -   Open to the public; registration to bid is free
    -   Interested buyers can register to bid in person, over the internet or
        by proxy. Visit the auction site to register to bid in person; photo
        I.D. is required. On-site registration begins a few days before the
        auction.
    -   Internet bidders must register online prior to auction day at
        www.rbauction.com; at least 2-3 business days is recommended for
        first-time bidders.
    -   Equipment details, including photos, are available on the Ritchie
        Bros. web site at www.rbauction.com.
    -   Equipment can also be inspected and tested at the auction site, which
        is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily.
    

NOTE: Dave Podolinsky of Podolinsky Equipment Ltd. passed away due to unforeseen circumstances on November 30, 2009 . Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers offers its sincerest condolences to the entire Podolinsky family for their loss. Ritchie Bros. will still be conducting the Petrolia auction on December 11th as planned.

Dave co-owned and ran Podolinsky Equipment with his brothers Louie and Rick. He will be greatly missed by the Ritchie Bros. Petrolia sales team, who had the pleasure of getting to know him over the last three years.

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. The Company has over 110 locations in more than 25 countries, including 39 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.

For further information: Kim Schulz, Manager, Corporate Communications, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, Phone: [phone] or email [email protected]; Or Harm Spangenberg, Agricultural Territory Manager, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Petrolia auction site, tel: [phone]