Interview to Valero Serentill, regional manager of Sales of Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers
Consolidated his position like big referent of the auctions without reservation,
After more than ten years of presence in Spain, how would describe the evolution that has followed Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers In our country? How it has grown the company from those starts in Sagunto/Valencia?
The time happens with a surprising rapidity. From ours first auction in Spain, have implanted the method of wholehearted auctions and have helped to thousands of people to buy and to sell equipment. The acceptance of the method of wholehearted auction of Ritchie Bros. It has grown to an amazing rhythm in all the market. In the last ten years, have gone adding services so that the processes carry out of an easier way for our customers, and the transparent and efficient method of the auction without reservation always has been the key. Companies of all type and size have recognised the improvements that have been realizar and see of which way our solutions adapt to his needs.
Valero Serentill, regional manager of Sales of Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers., during the celebration of one of the auctions.
Then, it considers that the concept of public auction without reservation is already very entered in the Spanish market?
Ten years ago, for the Spaniards, the concept of an auction without reservation was something entirely new. It carried us time achieve that they were conscious and that perceived the profits of the system of auctions. Now many are familiarised with our room of auctions and use the system, to buy and sell, like the method preferred. But the Spanish market is enormous, so still there are a lot of people that have heard to speak of the auctions but that never have assisted to them. I would say them: “Come to the next auction of Ocaña or Moncofa and experience of what treats ”.
Already they have happened more than 50 years since the brothers Ritchie celebrated the first auction in Canada. It could give us some data on the envergadura that has reached the company to world-wide level in all this time?
As well it says, Ritchie Bros. It was founded by John, Ken and Dave Ritchie to finals of 1950 in a small population of Canada. The three brothers, that had begun to very small scale, based the business on a few simple but powerful principles. The auctions began to reach popularity and the business began to grow. Nowadays, have cientos of auctions every year all over the world; we sell cientos of thousands of heavy equipment, tractors and trucks, attract to cientos of thousands of bidders, and sell active by account of thousands of companies. However, although over time the technologies have changed and our business has expanded to all the corners of the world, the fundamental principles of the brothers Ritchie still persist and follow alive in the company.
In the concrete case of his path in Spain, what supposed for Ritchie Bros. The opening of his installations in Moncofa (Castellón) and the inauguration of his permanent base of Ocaña (Toledo)?
During our first years in Spain, the auctions began to grow and to the public loved him how worked this process. Afterwards we arrive to a point in which we had to increase the capacity of our auctions to keep the level of quality and keep growing. In the years 2008 and 2009, the auctions arrived to be so big in Moncofa that decide to look for another place of auctions in the centre of Spain. Now we realizar activities in the two places of auctions to offer a greater comfort to our customers. Both places are logistical centres of greater scope for the national and international customers, are of very easy access vial and from international airports, and both possess his own individual advantages. This year we have initiated the integration of the auctions in the two places, calling them ‘National Auctions of Spain'. The National Auction of Spain celebrates now simultaneously in Moncofa and Ocaña, and like this the bidders have the ease to bid comfortably by the articles that wish, in real time and through a connection in direct. This innovation has provided greater comfort to the customer and has unchained a still greater level of participation.
Which would stand out Unit like important milestones in the path of the company in our country?
Created Ritchie Bros. In Spain from zero, so in the last decade have lived a lot of key moments. One of the most important for us was the opening of our place of auctions in Ocaña in the year 2010, when finally we could show the potential of our auctions in the market. So much our customers like our personnel appreciated this potential, and from this big opening have surpassed a lot of records.
Which paper plays the Spanish subsidiary of Ritchie Bros. In the international context?
The growth that have seen in Spain had not been possible without the capacity to attract to the international buyers, especially in the last years. In an auction in Ocaña see bidders of 80 countries, that participate in person and through Internet. People of all the world follow finding ways to arrive to our auctions in Spain. The easy access to the international markets is often a critical factor for the success, independently of the type or the size of the business. Have the network and the available platform to help to any person to sell or to buy.
Good part of the equipment auctioned by Ritchie Bros. In Spain proceeded of the world of the public work and the construction. In which measure has contributed Ritchie Bros. To favour the balance between offer and demand in this market, after the brutal fall of activity that has suffered?
Considering the impact to world-wide level in the sectors of the construction and public works, that has affected gravely the balance between the offer and the demand in the markets of machineries, the auctions that celebrate all over the world have supposed a platform that offers safe results to the companies that need to adapt to the new conditions of the market. In Spain also. Our global network of customers has helped to that the people trascend the conditions of the local market. If we fix us in the current reality of Spain, see that the works keep on being very few. Our model of auction is near of the customers, since it provides all the tools for an adjust of satisfactory fleet.
Ritchie Bros. It is realizar an intense campaign of diversification, going in increasingly in new markets like the agriculture or the industrial vehicles. What objective have marked in this sense? They appreciate in them a high potential of growth?
From does few years, have darse# cuenta that it exists an increase of the interest in people of the agricultural sectors. The Spanish agricultural community participates increasingly in our auctions; this is very resembled what observe does a lot of years in the sectors of the construction. The curious is that if we fix us in the history of Ritchie Bros., we see that our roots are deeply rooted in the sales of agricultural machinery. From finals of the decade of 1950 have sold tractors and agricultural equipment in our auctions, even before beginning to sell machinery of construction. The auctions are a good place to buy and sell tractors and other articles.
In both sectors there will be potential customers that still desconozcan the concept of wholehearted auction. How it would define it?
All the auctions of Ritchie Bros. They realizar without reservation, what means that there are not minimum biddings neither prices of reservation on the articles that sell in the auctions. All the articles that appear in the auction sell during the same to the best bidder. This is a principle of big scope that benefits so much to the buyer as to the seller.
Which advantages can offer Ritchie Bros. So much to the sellers as to the buyers of machinery or industrial vehicles?
A wholehearted auction of Ritchie Bros. It can benefit so much to the buyer as to the seller. All the articles that include in the auction sell this same day, what offers to the seller and to the buyer the certainty of a sale. In the current market, can carry long and money sell a team or a truck. Our auction realizar according to the highest standards of the market and of a professional and transparent way, and like this gives confidence to the buyers and to the sellers. We offer a range of services to help to the people to exchange equipment with ease and excellent results. Our collaborators are had to attend to the customers, are big or small, to help them to take the correct decisions in the purchase or sale of equipment. The auction is a terrain of game with equality of conditions where all the customers have the same possibilities of success.
In concrete, what supposes for his customers the one who Ritchie Bros. It have a very wide international network of contacts (buyers/sellers)?
This means that the companies, independently of his type and size, have an easy access to the international markets when it touches them buy or sell equipment and trucks. It does not matter if it treats of a company of small construction that needs only a minicargadora for a future project, or of a company for hire multinational that has to sell a whole fleet. In Ritchie Bros., the people can take advantage of the world-wide flow of equipment and obtain what need. Our services facilitate this possibility and the system is the same all over the world, already was in the auction of Ocaña, the one of Peking or the one of Florida.
In his auctions can bid of face-to-face or on-line form. Which growth is experienced this last formula?
Since we launch the on line live bidding, in the year 2002, this formula has grown of a vertiginous way. If we fix us in our celebrated auctions to world-wide level, at present by half term the half of the bidders participate live through Internet. We sell more heavy equipment that any another company in the world. However, when we visit the auctions in Ocaña or Moncofa, see that many prefer to assist to the auction in person. It treats of a different experience; to the people likes him can see the equipment and relate with other people. At the same time, the biddings by Internet have a very wide scope, since they open the doors to many other parts of the world. In the year 2011, launch the functionality designated Information Detailed of Equipment (DEI, by his acronyms in English), that has improved the form to use our website and has increased even more the confidence of the bidders. To a mining contractor of Australia no longer does him lacking travel to Spain, but, without abandoning the comfort of his home, can bid by the truck volquete articulated that so much it wishes.
Of face to the most immediate future, what objective mark ? In which projects go to centre during the 2014?
Continue helping to the people to sell and buy equipment, tractors and trucks of the best possible way. When observing the current Spanish market follow seeing opportunities. They will go out to the light the real needs of the market and Ritchie Bros. It will be there to help to the people with excellent solutions. In all the markets the new reality is calling to the door. We are here to attend the needs of the industry and help to all the companies that are lists to give the following step to the future.
Ritchie Bros. Autioneers Spain
Registers attained by the company during the 2012 in our country:
- 8.140 bidders registered
- 13.900 batches sold:
- 4.410 machines of construction
- 780 agricultural equipment
- 740 trucks and trailers
Registers attained by the company in 2013 (of January to September, in three auctions) in our country:
- 5.600 bidders registered
- 1.230 sellers
- 8.550 batches sold:
- 2.360 machines of construction
- 280 agricultural equipment
- 710 trucks and trailers
