IronPlanet to be Acquired by Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers

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Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Incorporated, the world’s largest industrial auctioneer and a leading equipment distributor, and IronPlanet, a leading online marketplace for used heavy equipment and other durable asset sales, have announced that they have entered into an agreement under which Ritchie Bros. will acquire IronPlanet for approximately US$758.5 million, subject to customary closing adjustments.

Founded in 1999, IronPlanet complements Ritchie Bros.’ primarily end-user customer base, as it focuses largely on the needs of corporate accounts, equipment manufacturers, dealers and government entities in equipment disposition solutions. It conducts its sales primarily through online-only platforms, with weekly online auctions and in other equipment marketplaces. IronPlanet, a private company based in the United States, sold approximately US$787 million of Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) through their sales channels during 2015, and has achieved a 25.2% compounded growth rate in assets sold from 2013 through 2015.

“This transformative transaction is the logical next step for Ritchie Bros., building on our multi-channel platform, global reach and long-standing customer relationships. Together with IronPlanet, we will create a combined company of trusted brands with the ability to provide customers around the world with a greater number of choices and platforms to sell, buy and list equipment when, where and how they want – whether onsite or online. Our commitment to diversifying our offerings is directly in line with customer demand for multiple selling and buying solutions,” said Ravi Saligram, Chief Executive Officer of Ritchie Bros. “This acquisition will help accelerate our growth in revenue and earnings and add shareholder value by continuing to expand our capabilities in new channels, sectors, regions and customer segments. Ritchie Bros. and IronPlanet both have talented teams and winning cultures built on a passion for serving customers.”

The addition of IronPlanet provides Ritchie Bros. with access to new, large customer segments, including government surplus and oil & gas. Furthermore, the wider range of sales solutions offered by the combined company will allow it to more effectively meet customer preferences in many key international locations, including the U.K., Germany, Japan and China – where Ritchie Bros.’ established infrastructure will provide a platform to launch IronPlanet solutions. Under the terms of the transaction, Ritchie Bros. will acquire 100% of the equity of IronPlanet. The transaction is expected to close by the first half of 2017.