Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Adds Facility in Europe

By Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, PRNE
Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Holds Successful Public Equipment Auctions in Poland, Germany, Spain and Turkey in One Week and Announces Construction of New Facility in Germany

BREDA, The Netherlands, November 25 - Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (NYSE and TSX: RBA), the world's largest
industrial auctioneer, has announced it signed a long-term lease on
approximately 16 hectares (41 acres) of land in Meppen, Germany. The global
auction firm intends to begin construction of a new auction site there in
December, with plans to complete construction by mid-2010. This will be the
Company's sixth auction site in Europe.

Since 2004, Ritchie Bros. has been conducting agricultural equipment
auctions in Meppen in cooperation with Agravis, an agricultural equipment
dealer and service facility. At a recent auction in Meppen on November 19,
2009
, a selection of 640 tractors, trucks and other agricultural equipment
items were sold to a crowd of more than 850 registered bidders.

"Ritchie Bros. is attracting more people and selling more equipment at
its unreserved auctions around the world," said Guylain Turgeon, Senior Vice
President and Managing Director Europe, Middle East and Asia. "Even as we are
successfully entering new markets, such as India and Turkey, Europe is a
region we continue to develop. Every day we're expanding our European
network, reaching out to new customers. Having a new auction facility in
Germany enables us to continue to offer the high standard, full-service
auctions our selling and buying customers appreciate so much."

Last week, Ritchie Bros. conducted unreserved equipment auctions in
Poland, Germany, Spain and successfully held its first ever auction in
Turkey. Together, these auctions attracted more than 2,150 on-site and online
bidder registrations. More than 2,800 truck and equipment items were sold
last week in these countries, generating more than 27 million euros in gross
auction proceeds.

In the upcoming weeks, the Company will hold unreserved public equipment
auctions in the Netherlands (25-27 November), France (1 December) and Italy
(3 & 4 December).

About Ritchie Bros.

Established in 1958, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (NYSE and TSX: RBA) is the
world's largest industrial auctioneer, selling more equipment to on-site and
online bidders than any other company in the world. The Company has over 110
locations in more than 25 countries, including 39 auction sites worldwide.
Ritchie Bros. sells, through unreserved public auctions, a broad range of
used and unused industrial assets, including equipment, trucks and other
assets utilized in the construction, transportation, agricultural, material
handling, mining, forestry, petroleum and marine industries. The Company
maintains a web site at www.rbauction.com and sponsors an equipment wiki at
www.RitchieWiki.com.

Investors and potential investors should note that this information may
not be indicative of the overall financial performance of the Company for
this or any period.

For more information contact: Guylain Turgeon, Managing Director, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, Tel: +31-765-242-600, Or Alexander Ypeij, Communications Specialist Europe, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, Tel: +31-765-242-600 or e-mail: aypeij at rbauction.com, Or Kim Schulz, Corporate Communications Manager, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Canada Mobile: +1-604-788-5379 or e-mail: kschulz at rbauction.com

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