Ritchie Bros. to sell more than 2,450 equipment items in Bolton, ON auction

Two-day unreserved auction will feature equipment from more than 400 sellers-all equipment will be sold to the highest bidders regardless of price-without minimum bids or reserve prices

BOLTON, ON, Sept. 20, 2012 /CNW/ - Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (NYSE andTSX: RBA), the world's largest industrial auctioneer, will sell close to 2,450 equipment items and trucks in a two-day unreserved public auction at its Bolton, ON auction site on September 25 - 26, 2012. Equipment highlights include 115 truck tractors, 54 hydraulic excavators, 46 wheel loaders, 33 crawler tractors, 30 loader backhoes, as well as a great selection of forestry equipment and cranes. All equipment will be sold to the highest bidders without minimum bids or reserve prices. Bids in the auction can be made in person at the auction site (3 Manchester Court, Bolton, ON, L7E 2Y1), online in real time at www.rbauction.com or by proxy.

"This is the biggest auction we have conducted this year in Ontario," said Scott Zeilstra, Regional Sales Manager, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers. "The auction already features more than 2,450 pieces of equipment from more than 400 sellers and by the end of the auction every single piece will be sold and put to work by a new owner. This sale definitely has something for every equipment user—from great, late-model construction and transportation equipment to forestry and lifting equipment. We encourage interested bidders to come visit our site ahead of the auction, inspect the equipment—or conduct a virtual inspection on our website—then register in the auction and get ready to bid on auction day."

Specific equipment highlights in the Bolton, ON auction include:

• four 2011 Kenworth T800 sleeper truck tractors
• four late model Tigercat H855C crawler processors
• three late model Tigercat 870C crawler feller bunchers
• two late model Tigercat 1075B 8x8 clam bunk forwarders
• a 2011 Caterpillar 966H wheel loader
• a 2012 John Deere 770GP motor grader
• a 2012 John Deere 700J LGP crawler tractor
• a late model Caterpillar D7R Series II crawler tractor
• a late model Caterpillar 385CL ME hydraulic excavator
• a Krupp 180GMT 250-ton all terrain crane
• a Tadano TR650XXL3 65-ton 4x4 rough terrain crane

More than 90 of the equipment items in the auction are being sold as part of a complete dispersal for Nighthawk Timber Co. Ltd., a logging contractor based in Timmins, ON.

"We've been logging for 33 years and have now decided to retire from the business and will be selling our complete fleet, including late-model, well-maintained Tigercat harvesting equipment and our Kenworth truck fleet," said Don Stringer, co-owner of Nighthawk Timber Co. Ltd. "Selling a fleet of this size is a monumental task and we knew Ritchie Bros. was the best way to do this quickly and efficiently."

Registration to bid is free. For more information about the auction, visit www.rbauction.com or contact the auction site at +1.800.357.0659.

Auction details:

• Auction location: Ritchie Bros.' Bolton auction site at 3 Manchester Court, Bolton, ON, L7E 2Y1
• Site phone: [phone] or +1.905.857.2422
• Every 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 online bidders should register several days in advance of the auction
• By proxy - phone the auction site to place a proxy bid

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.

SOURCE: Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers

Ian Malinski - Corporate Communications Specialist
Office: +1.778.331.5432
Email: [e-mail]

Or

Scott Zeilstra - Regional Sales Manager
Auction site phone: [phone] or +1.905.857.2422
Email: [e-mail]