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Ritchie Bros. to acquire Euro Auctions

Ritchie Bros. is acquiring Euro Auctions in a deal that will create a new company valued at more than $1 billion U.S.

The company, a global asset management, disposition and services firm, announced it has acquired Euro Auctions, a European plant and machinery auction house.

A European powerhouse

Founded in 1998, Euro Auctions conducts unreserved heavy equipment auctions with onsite and online bidding under the brands Euro Auctions and Yoder & Frey, with 200 plus employees in 14 countries. In 2020 the company conducted 60 auctions, selling close to 90,000 items for £484 million across its nine locations in the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland, Germany, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, Australia, and the United States.

Similar to Ritchie Bros., Euro Auctions also sells items through a timed auction format and a daily marketplace with Buy Now and Make Offer options.

“Ritchie Bros. and Euro Auctions are an ideal fit with a united goal to make asset insights, service offerings and disposition solutions easier than ever,” said Ann Fandozzi, Ritchie Bros. CEO.

“Euro Auctions has an incredibly talented team, with expertise in asset sourcing, auction operations, sales, and customer service. Their ‘can do’ attitude and entrepreneurial spirit combined with technology has helped them adapt and grow, in much the same way as we have. This acquisition significantly accelerates our strategy to drive revenue and earnings growth and add shareholder value by continuing to expand our capabilities in new channels, sectors, regions, and customer segments.”

Ritchie Bros. will be retaining Euro Auctions employees and its brand. This will expand Ritchie Bros.’ overall footprint and access to equipment, while also tapping into new revenue streams with service offerings to Euro Auctions customers, including inventory management services, data solutions, financing, warranty, insurance, inspections, refurbishing, shipping, and more.

Transaction terms

Under the terms of the transaction, Ritchie Bros. will acquire 100 per cent of the equity of the companies comprised within the Euro Auctions group for an enterprise value of £775 million (approximately US$1.08 billion) in cash.

This represents an implied multiple of ~15.3x 2021E EBITDA (non-GAAP measure), including run rate synergies. Ritchie Bros. intends to finance the transaction through a combination of cash on hand and new debt; and has bridge financing commitments from Goldman Sachs Bank USA, subject to customary terms and conditions to facilitate the transaction close.

Following the close of the transaction and the required financing, Ritchie Bros. is expected to have an adjusted net debt to adjusted EBITDA ratio (non-GAAP measure) of approximately 3.9 times.

Ritchie Bros. has secured employment arrangements with key management of the Euro Auctions business, including Derek Keys, who will continue to be involved for a minimum of three years post-closing. It is intended that Jonnie Keys will assume a senior leadership position, and Lynden and Trevor Keys will be retained as sourcing leads.

The transaction was approved by the Board of Directors of Ritchie Bros. and is expected to close in late 2021 or early 2022, subject to regulatory clearances and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions.