IronPlanet and Finning Bring Cat Auction Services to the UK

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10 TH, 2016 

 

IronPlanet and Cat Auction Services are delighted to announce the launch of their inaugural European Unreserved Public Auction to include quality used Cat® equipment, to be hosted by Finning.

The landmark auction will take place on Wednesday 20th April at Rockingham Motor Speedway, Northamptonshire, and looks set to reinvent the concept of unreserved public auctions in the United Kingdom. The event will be the first in a series of quarterly unreserved auction events across locations in Great Britain, aimed at buyers of used heavy equipment from the UK and other International markets. The on-site auction will be supported by IronPlanet’s online marketplace, allowing bidders to attend online from anywhere in the world.

Finning, the world’s largest dealer of Caterpillar construction equipment, engines and power solutions recognises the value of hosting such an event in the local market. The auction will feature Cat equipment from Finning, as well as additional machines from other dealers, rental customers, and construction companies in the UK and across Europe. Each machine will be showcased on IronPlanet.com in advance of the April auction, and buyers unable to attend the auction in person can bid online in real-time.

Each unit will be backed by IronPlanet’s trademark IronClad Assurance® equipment inspection certification and inspection reports, which comprehensively detail and guarantee the condition of the machine to its potential buyer.

“We are delighted to announce our first Cat Auction Services live onsite unreserved auction in Europe and the opportunity to work closely with Finning, the world’s largest Caterpillar dealer,” said Felipe Fernández-Urrutia Massó, Vice President of European Sales at IronPlanet. “We look forward to bringing the best in used, low hour Cat equipment to buyers in the UK and globally in our Rockingham sale”.

On what attendees can expect from the event itself, Fernández-Urrutia Massó said, “Attendees will be able to see the machines in operation live during preview in order to assess their qualities before they bid. In addition, bidders can review inspection reports on IronPlanet ahead of the sale. We are able to use our cross-platform capabilities of online at IronPlanet.com for equipment preview and inspection reports and on-site where bidders can come and kick the tires, should they want a closer look. We believe that this hybrid approach to the auction format meets the requirements of all buyers.”

For Finning, the auction presents the company with an opportunity to support customers with fleet optimisation, which in turn allows them to repurpose quality Cat machines to new buyers: “We want buyers to feel comfortable and know that they are buying quality machines, backed up by the credibility that the Caterpillar, Finning and IronPlanet brands bring,” said Enda Eiffe, Business Unit Manager, Equipment Solutions Division at Finning. “The intention is to run the auctions on a regular basis and ultimately, we want buyers to be happy with their purchases and know that these events will be a great place to buy quality used Cat equipment in the future.”

Cat Auction Services became part of IronPlanet in April 2015. The onsite auction in the UK is an example of how that merger has since developed, and is the result of successes at similar auctions held in North America and Canada.

IronPlanet also recently added a fifth day to its annual Kissimmee, Florida auction. Already one of the industry’s most anticipated events of 2016, IronPlanet’s Cat Auction Services marketplace has expanded its Florida event schedule to start on Monday, February 8, to accommodate additional sellers who have consigned more than 2,000 pieces of quality equipment to the sale.