Page 44 • December 5, 2009 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT GUIDE
IronPlanet Reports Record Sales for Third Quarter
(L-R) are Victoria Arellano, Elizabeth King, Marion Pender and Heather Noel.
ESCO Corporation Receives ‘Excellence in Training’Award On Oct. 29, the Portland Business Journal presented its annual manufacturing awards at the Portland Art Museum, honoring Portland-based manufacturer ESCO Corporation in the “Excellence in Training” category. As Business Journal Publisher Craig Wessel said, the goal of this new program is to “recognize manufacturing companies that continue to drive our region’s economy through innovation and strategic evolution.” The other awards categories were “Product Innovation of the Year” and “Manufacturing Company of the Year” (small, medium and large companies). Other manufacturing awards winners included Benchmade, Eleek, FEI Company, Korvis Automation, Oregon Iron Works, Plas2Fuel, Timber Pro UV, Tinitron, TriQuint Semiconductor and Williams Controls. ESCO Corporation has become increasingly noted for its application of “lean manufacturing” practices that emphasize waste reduction in its operations. According to spokesperson Robert Kenneth, the goal is to increase customer value while continually reducing waste and cost. “Our culture of quality, value and speed — or QVS — drives the elimination of waste in everything we do, from engineering and payroll to the plant floor and loading docks. The result is business practices that create long-term, sustainable economic, environmental and social benefits for our employees, our customers and our neighbors in the communities where ESCO operates.” ESCO’s Organizational Effectiveness team is responsible for development and delivery of countless training initiatives aimed at integrating lean and continuous improvement at every level of the company. “At ESCO, we live by the philosophy of continuous improvement to deliver quality, value and speed to our customers,” said Elizabeth King, ESCO’s executive director of Organizational Effectiveness. “With that as a
vision, our team looks at what stands in the way of us getting there. And it’s those obstacles we go after.” Because ESCO has operations throughout the world, King and her team face special challenges when it comes to implementing uniform practices across all levels of the organization. “We can’t succeed as a global organization if we lack the required expertise at even one of our sites. That’s why we actively support developing expertise throughout the entire company,” King said. According to King, another important aspect of ESCO’s training approach is how indistinguishable it often is from day-to-day operations. “Some people have traditional ways of training — which means you go to a classroom to learn something, pass a test, and often never use what you learned. But it would be hard to distinguish between training and real time work here at ESCO — it’s all the same.” ESCO enjoys a strong reputation as an innovator, with more than 300 product patents highlighting the company’s passion for solving difficult problems. King said she and her Organizational Effectiveness team support this innovative culture “by creating and delivering innovative training and development opportunities.” “The quality of our work creates an experience for participants that builds personal skills and commitment to ESCO — and also furthers our strategic initiatives.” About winning the “Excellence in Training” category among multiple candidate companies, King said: “Our team is delighted to be awarded with this honor on behalf of all ESCO employees. We couldn’t do what we do without effectively partnering at all levels of the organization — from board room to break room. It’s what makes our work impactful and fun.”
IronPlanet posted record sales for the third quarter of 2009. Gross auction sales were $123 million, an increase of 61 percent over third quarter of 2008. IronPlanet’s year-to-date performance of $334 million is a 36 percent increase over the same period in 2008. “I continue to be pleased with our quarterly and year-to-date performance as we continue to deliver on our business objectives in 2009,” said Gregory J. Owens, IronPlanet chairman and chief executive officer. “Our ongoing commitment to our customers to bring fair market value for their equipment, at a low cost to sell through our weekly online marketplace will continue to be the catalyst for our growth.” In the third quarter, IronPlanet conducted 22 global auctions, up 38 percent from third quarter 2008. In addition, 55 percent of the items sold in IronPlanet North American auctions had bids from international bidders and 25 percent of the items sold went to buyers outside of the United States. “As we approach 2010 we will continue to build on our strategies to broaden our reach and grow both our seller and buyer base around the world. The advantages of our online marketplace versus more traditional auction channels are our global reach and our ability to bring an international buyer audience to all of our auctions whether in North America, Europe, Australia or Southeast Asia,” said Owens. In its third quarter, IronPlanet achieved other significant milestones that will be instrumental in the continued success and growth of the company. IronPlanet Canada expanded its sales team to increase coverage and customer service from coast to coast, while IronPlanet Australia added John O’Sullivan to continue growth into Southeast Asia. In August, IronPlanet exceeded half a million users worldwide expanding the number of potential bidders and buyers across its marketplace in North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. In July, Roger S. Siboni joined the board of directors, bringing more than 30 years of experience and executive level management in technology and financial management to the IronPlanet board. For more information, visit www.ironplanet.com.
Ritchie Bros. to Establish Presence in Salt Lake City Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers has signed a seven-year lease in Salt Lake City, Utah, and will be starting site work on a new auction site right away. Ritchie Bros. has conducted unreserved equipment auctions at temporary locations in Utah since 1985. “We are excited to find a new home in Utah at a location that is convenient for both local and traveling customers,” said Mike Johnston, divisional manager, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers. “We have decided to establish a presence in Utah because it has proven to have a diverse business climate serving a variety of industries, including construction, transportation, agriculture, mining and oil and gas.” The new site, located at the Salt Pointe Commerce Center in Lake Point, Utah (approximately 20 mi. west of Salt Lake City), has approximately 37 acres of developable land. It is located 17 mi. west of the Salt Lake City International Airport, with 1,000 ft. of visibility along I-80. “We feel very fortunate that Ritchie Bros. has decided to open an auction site in Utah,” said Nicole Cline, economic development director of Tooele County. “They are a strong, stable company and a great corporate citizen — we are proud to have them in our community. We also believe this new site will enhance the visibility of Ritchie Bros. in our state, which will aid in its success.” Ritchie Bros. typically holds three to five public auctions at each of its auction sites around the world. The last multi-million dollar auction in Utah, held Nov. 13, 2009, attracted more than 1,000 registered bidders from 21 countries. Purchasers participated from as far away as Egypt, Spain, Korea, and from all over North America.