itchie Bros. has catapulted from a small, family-owned business founded in 1958 in British Columbia, Canada, into a global marketplace with more than sixty full-service yards in fourteen countries. But in Alaska, it’s the online auctions at the Wasilla yard that play a critical role in remarketing the state’s oil and gas assets along with construction, mining, logging, and dirt work equipment.

The company’s history in Alaska began with its role selling equipment used during the cleanup of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, which decimated the waters of Prince William Sound.

“That brought international attention to both the scale of the work in Alaska and our company’s ability to manage large, complex asset sales,” recalls Ritchie Bros. Alaska Territory Manager Kari Cabanski of the environmental cleanup.

While working for an international company boasting the world’s largest heavy equipment auctions, Cabanski operates the Wasilla yard, located on the Parks Highway west of Pittman Road in Meadow Lakes, on more of a local level.

“I work directly with businesses across Alaska to help them buy and sell equipment efficiently and align their fleets with current market demand,” she says.

The Wasilla site, which opened in 2012, is critical for connecting surplus equipment with the right buyers, says Cabanski. “It’s incredible some of the things I’ve sold.”

As an example of the reach of the Ritchie Bros. marketplace, Cabanski points to the sale of a City of Bethel vacuum truck that ultimately went to a buyer in Maine. “When buyers are looking for the right piece of equipment, they’re willing to go where the inventory is,” she says. “That’s the advantage of putting equipment in front of a global audience.”

Another interesting transaction involved the sale of a passenger van located on the North Slope to a buyer in France, who flew to Prudhoe Bay and drove the vehicle off the lot.

“Having a permanent location in Wasilla reinforces our long-term commitment to Alaska and the relationships we’ve built here,” Cabanski says. “It also gives sellers strong visibility—we’re right on the Parks Highway—and through Ritchie Bros., that equipment reaches buyers around the world.”

Six auctions are planned for Wasilla this year in March, May, July, September, October, and December. The auctions typically feature a mix of equipment and assets from across Alaska and beyond. Much of the Wasilla inventory is sold through unreserved auctions, meaning there is no minimum bid. Potential buyers have the opportunity to visit the yard, inspect equipment in person, and kick the tires before bidding online.

The auctions are conducted entirely online without a live auctioneer and can run for several days or weeks, with staggered closing times for each item. Because the marketplace is digital, bidding activity can come from across Alaska, throughout North America, and around the world — helping connect local sellers to a global audience through the Ritchie Bros. marketplace.

Construction Machinery Industrial, LLC (CMI) of Anchorage utilizes the company’s auction services as part of the heavy equipment dealership’s strategy in managing aging inventory, trade-ins, or surplus equipment, says Olga Prestwick, CMI’s corporate credit and finance manager.

“The auction platform allows us to reach a large, qualified buyer base and ensure transparency in pricing, helping us move equipment efficiently while maintaining market competitiveness,” Prestwick adds.

Ritchie Bros. got its start in Alaska selling equipment used in the cleanup efforts after the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1988. It opened a location west of Wasilla in 2012.

Ritchie Bros. staff at the Edmonton, Alberta, office in Canada talk with customers. The company started as a family-owned business in British Columbia, Canada, in 1958.

Ritchie Bros. staff work to make the multi-national company retain a small-town feel.

CMI uses Ritchie Bros. staff’s expertise in preparing machines for auction, coordinating transportation, and aligning timing with auction schedules to maximize exposure and returns.

“While our use of auction services is selective, Ritchie Bros. has consistently provided a dependable platform when we choose to go that route,” says Prestwick. “Whether it’s guidance on cleaning, minor repairs, or ensuring equipment is properly represented, Kari helps keep everything organized and on track. That level of coordination allows our team to stay focused on internal operations while feeling confident the auction process is being handled professionally.”

Ritchie Bros. is trucking and logistics company Carlile Transportation’s primary sales outlet for depreciated equipment.

“They help us out greatly by managing titles, posting ads for our equipment, cleaning, helping update title issues, selling our equipment, and managing the bridge between us and the customers,” explains Whitney Roe, Anchorage shop manager.

Roe recalls an especially complicated sale of two extremely large forklifts. “Kari took special care in obtaining road permits with our heavy haul division to get them up to Wasilla. She works extremely hard to make sure that all of our legal parameters are met and we have good market value, plus wonderful advertising for all equipment being sold.”

“I never want people to feel like they’re dealing with some massive corporation. If there’s an issue, they’ve got my phone number. They can email, call, text, or even send a smoke signal,” she says with a laugh. “I always say, ‘I’m not in sales, I’m in solutions.’ That’s what matters.”

Being local in Wasilla means we understand the people, the equipment, and the market here. But through Ritchie Bros., we can also connect Alaskans and Alaskan equipment to buyers around the world. That’s the power behind the Ritchie Bros. brand promise: Partner Local. Reach Global. Real Results.”

Being a member of Associated General Contractors of Alaska since 2023 has enabled Ritchie Bros. to connect with buyers and sellers throughout the state.

“It helps us stay close to the industry and maintain a network of other Alaskans to find solutions that meet the needs of customers in our unique market,” Cabanski says.