From the Winnipeg Free Press
There was a brisk market in vaccum trucks, hydraulic cranes and crawler tractors on Monday as well as all sorts of highway tractors and container chassis flying off a make-shift sales lot on Lagimodiere Boulevard.
The occasion was a public auction of heavy equipment by Venture Auctioneers, a Winnipeg auction house that holds these events at least once a year.
More than 350 large items, including many farm-related pieces of equipment, were on the sales block.
Ed Gulay, a former auctioneer and associate with Venture Auctioneers, said the poor economy has definitely not destroyed the heavy equipment after-market.
“Considering what’s been happening in the market, prices are very strong,” he said.
Venture Auctioneers handles equipment on consignment from sellers in northwestern Ontario throughout Manitoba and into Saskatchewan.
Gulay said some of the equipment will have operational certificates from the consigners, but others won’t.
“To some extent it’s buyer-beware,” Gulay said.
But then again, if someone is prepared to shell out tens of thousands of dollars for a hi-boy trailer or a crawler tractor, chances are they’ll know a thing or two about how they are supposed to work.
The one-day only auction attracted buyers from across the region and into the United States as well as overseas buyers. On-line bidding was also being accepted.
The sales total for the day was expected to the be in the millions of dollars.
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 17, 2009 B8
