Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (NYSE and TSX: RBA), the world's largest industrial auctioneer, is returning to Petrolia for the third consecutive year to conduct an unreserved public agricultural auction at Podolinsky Equipment, a local John Deere dealership.

The auction will be held on December 11, 2009 at 9:00 a.m. as part of Farmer Information Days, an annual mini-trade fair hosted by Podolinsky Equipment since 1985.

"We've developed a good business relationship with Podolinsky Equipment in Petrolia over the last three years — since we were invited to hold our first unreserved auction there in December 2007," said Harm Spangenberg, Agricultural Territory Manager, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers. "In this upcoming auction we've got a very large quantity of late-model agricultural tractors. It will be one of the best agricultural auctions we've had in Ontario in more than a decade."

More than 200 items — from Podolinksy and over 20 other equipment owners — will be sold to the highest bidders on auction day, with no minimum bids or reserve prices. Equipment being sold includes more than 90 late-model, low-hour 2WD, 4WD and MFWD agricultural tractors from John Deere and other manufacturers — including a 2007 John Deere 9530 4WD tractor and a 2009 John Deere 8130 4WD tractor.

The auction also features a number of unused tractors by Branson. Additional items being sold on auction day are combines, utility tractors, headers, skid steer loaders and a large selection of skid steer attachments. Equipment will continue to be added to the auction daily, right up to sale day.

Podolinksy Equipment, a family-owned business based in Petrolia, has been selling and servicing John Deere equipment to farmers in Lambton County since 1964. The December 11th auction will be held at the Podolinsky Equipment store (6057 Petrolia Line) in Petrolia, ON. Equipment consignments for the Petrolia auction are still being accepted; owners interested in selling their equipment in the auction can contact Ritchie Bros. at +1.519.844.2054.

Interested buyers can register at the Petrolia auction site a few days prior to auction day or on auction day, as well as over the internet if they plan on bidding and buying equipment online. A proxy bid can also be placed before auction day by contacting the Petrolia auction site at +1.519.844.2054