For more than 90 years, Iroquois Falls Woodlands has sourced, maintained and operated equipment to transport forested wood to the Iroquois Falls paper mill - work that will now be done by contractors.

"We considered conducting the auction ourselves, but when we found out that Ritchie Bros. could come to Iroquois Falls and sell everything in one day - including the shop and the mobile equipment - we knew that was our best option: they've got the expertise and market reach, and a good reputation in the industry," said Jennifer Tallman, Continuous Improvement and Operations Manager, AbitibiBowater.

Among the equipment being sold on auction day: wheel loaders, crawler tractors, skidders, log trailers and forklifts.

    <<
    Auction details

    -  Location: Stimson Depot Garage, Northwest Industrial Road,
       Iroquois Falls, Ontario
    -  Auction site phone: +1.705.258.3412
    -  Time and date: Thursday, November 5, 2009 starting at 8:00 a.m.
    -  Auction is open to the public; registration to bid is free
    -  How to bid:

       1. In person at the auction site - registration begins at the site
          several days before the auction. Photo I.D. is required.
       2. Online in real time - register online at www.rbauction.com, at
          least 2 - 3 days before the auction for first-time internet
          bidders.
       3. By proxy - phone the auction site to place a proxy bid:
          +1.705.258.3412.

    -  Equipment details, including photos, are available on the
       Ritchie Bros. web site: www.rbauction.com
    >>

Note: Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers is not affiliated with nor related to art auction house Ritchies Auctioneers of Toronto.

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.

SOURCE: Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers

Brian Dykstra, Regional Manager, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, Auction site phone: (705)
258-3412 Or Kim Schulz, Manager, Corporate Communications, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers,
Phone: (778) 331-5442 or email: kschulz@rbauction.com

"We're very excited to have the opportunity to market such a diverse range of equipment at our Grand Opening auction," says Brian Podruzny, Regional Manager, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers. "We have a great selection of mining equipment, including a fleet of Cat 777D rock trucks, and a large package of oilfield transportation equipment we'll be selling. We're extremely pleased to showcase these rock trucks at our new auction facility."

More than 650 equipment items and trucks from various owners including Prairie Boys Oilfield Services Inc, Dechant Construction Ltd., Finning (Canada) and Ledcor Group will be sold unreserved to the highest bidders on auction day, with no minimum bids or reserve prices.

A major highlight of the auction is the sale of 24 rock trucks including 15 late model, low-hour Cat 777D rock trucks. This will be the largest grouping of Cat 777D rock trucks ever sold by the Company in an unreserved auction within North America. Other rock trucks for sale include Cat 773B and Cat 773D rock trucks and two 2002 Komatsu HD785-5 rock trucks.

Other equipment items being sold in the November 24th Grand Opening auction include: a Hitachi EX1800 hydraulic front shovel, close to 35 crawler tractors, nearly 30 hydraulic excavators, 25 winch tractors, close to 15 bed trucks, 10 wheel loaders, 10 articulated dump trucks, motor scrapers, motor graders and several crawler drills. More items are being delivered to the Grande Prairie auction yard daily, and will continue to be added right through to sale day.

Since acquiring its first permanent auction site in Grande Prairie in 2002, Ritchie Bros. has conducted 50 auctions there. The Company's new 59+/- acre auction site, complete with refurbishing facilities and an auction theatre with an 800-person seating capacity, will replace the former 31+/- acre auction site located at 14606 100 Street. The new auction site, located at Range Road 51 in Grande Prairie, also features a 900-vehicle parking lot.

Consignments are still being accepted for the November 24th to 25th Grand Opening auction; owners interested in selling their equipment in the auction can contact the Grande Prairie auction site at +1.780.538.1100.

    <<
    *Cat 777D Rock Truck Fast Facts
    ---------------------------------
        -  Gross Power: 1,000 hp (745.7 kw)
        -  Weight (approx): 90.4 tons (360,143 lbs)
        -  Payload capacity: 100 tons
        -  Overall truck body length: 32.1 ft in
        -  Overall truck height (with bucket down): 16.4 ft
        -  Wheel base: 15 ft
        -  Tire diameter/height: 8.9 ft
        -  Fuel capacity: 300.4 gallons

    *Courtesy of RitchieWiki

    Auction details:
    ----------------
        -  Location: Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers permanent auction site, Range
           Road 51, Grande Prairie, AB
        -  Grande Prairie auction site tel: +1.780.538.1100 Grande Prairie
           auction site fax: +1.780.539.7230
        -  Time and date: Tuesday, November 24th to Wednesday, November 25,
           2009 starting at 8:00 a.m. each day
        -  Grand Opening ribbon cutting: Tuesday, November 24th on auction
           ramp (approximately 12:30 p.m.)
        -  Unreserved auction is open to the public; registration to bid is
           free
        -  Visit the auction site to register to bid in person; photo I.D. is
           required. First-time bidders from the U.S. and Canada must place a
           refundable CDN$1,000 deposit when they register. Customers can
           inspect, test and compare equipment during regular business hours
           leading up to the auction
        -  Internet bidders must register online before auction day at
           www.rbauction.com; at least 2-3 business days is recommended for
           first-time internet bidders.
        -  Phone the auction site to place a proxy bid. Phone: +
           1.780.538.1100
        -  Equipment details, including photos, are available at
           www.rbauction.com
    >>

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.

ATTENTION MEDIA: Photos of the Cat 777D rock trucks are available for your use at www.rbauction.com/media or by calling Kim Schulz at the contact number below.

SOURCE: Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers

Kim Schulz, Manager, Corporate Communications, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, Cell: (604)
788-5379 or email kschulz@rbauction.com; Or Brian Podruzny, Regional Manager, Ritchie
Bros. Auctioneers, Grande Prairie auction site, tel: (780) 538-1100

"Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers has grown steadily for more than fifty years, conducting unreserved industrial auctions in B.C. and all around the world" said Peter Blake, CEO of Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers. "We have maintained our international head office in British Columbia throughout our history because we have found it to be an excellent place from which to manage our global business, and we have never forgotten our Kelowna roots. Gathering our team from three separate Richmond locations into one terrific new building in Burnaby is already generating benefits that allow us to serve our customers better."

The new state of the art 15,200+-square-meter (164,000-ft(2)) office has a wealth of work-life features, including a cafeteria, workout facility and a new corporate child-care center. Currently housing 300+ employees, the Ritchie Bros. headquarters was designed with environmental building practices in mind. As such, Ritchie Bros. hopes the building will achieve LEED Gold certification status from the Canadian Green Building Council-it will be the first LEED Gold building in Burnaby.

    <<
    KEY FACTS:

    -  Child-care centre - 465 m(2) (5,000 ft(2)) - licensed to care for a
       maximum of 45 infants, toddlers, preschoolers and a limited number of
       school age children. For now, the centre is available only to staff
       members' children, but there are plans in place to open a few spaces
       to specific corporate partners at some point in the future. Ritchie
       Bros. currently subsidizes the child-care fees for its employees at
       this facility.
    -  Café - 325 m(2) (3,500 ft(2)) - catered by Corporate Classics
       Caterers, the café provides healthy choices for staff at relatively
       low prices. Other than a few "grab and go items," the menu changes
       daily to appeal to a variety of tastes.
    -  Workout facility - 275 m(2) (3,000 ft(2)) - contains modern, high
       quality equipment including 3 treadmills, 3 elliptical machines, 4
       stationary bikes, 1 stair climber, 1 rowing machine, 2 total gyms as
       well as benches with free weights. It is available for staff to use 24
       hours a day, seven days a week.
    >>

The private Grand Opening celebration (including entertainment, food and beverages) starts at 4 p.m. on Thursday, October 29, 2009 at the Ritchie Bros. office in Burnaby (9500 Glenlyon Parkway, Burnaby, BC V5J 0C6). The Grand Opening will also include a tour of the building's major amenities and features. For more information about Ritchie Bros., please visit the Company's web site at www.rbauction.com.

About Ritchie Bros.

Established in 1958 in Kelowna, B.C., 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.

ATTENTION MEDIA - You are invited to this private event. Please contact Kim if you plan on attending for a reserved parking space close to the building:

Directions:

From downtown Vancouver: head south over either the Granville, Burrard or Cambie Street bridge, turn left on West Broadway and head east, turn right at Kingsway, turn right at Boundary Road, turn left at Marine Way, turn right at Glenlyon Parkway, Ritchie Bros. head office is located on Glenlyon Parkway, south of North Fraser Way.

From Hwy 1 and points east: start westbound on Highway 1, take exit 40A to merge onto Brunette Avenue (west) toward New Westminster, take a slight left at Columbia Street East, Continue on Stewardson Way, Continue on Marine Way, turn left at Byrne Road, turn right on North Fraser Way, turn left on Glenlyon Parkway, Ritchie Bros. head office will be on your right.

SOURCE: Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers

Kim Schulz, Manager, Corporate Communications, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, Tel: (788)
331-5442 or cel: (604) 788-5379 or email: kschulz@rbauction.com

The webcast is also being distributed through the Thomson StreetEvents Network. Individual investors can listen to the call at www.earnings.com, Thomson's individual investor portal, powered by StreetEvents. Institutional investors can access the call via Thomson StreetEvents (www.streetevents.com), a password-protected event management site.

SOURCE: Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Incorporated

Media: 
Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Incorporated 
Jeremy Black, 778-331-5291 
jblack@rbauction.com