Company Announcement - IronPlanet, the world’s leading online auction platform for buying and selling used construction equipment, has been demonstrating its flexible service approach through a partnership with DTP Terrassement in Gabon, Africa. DTP Terrassement – a division of Bouygues Construction that specialises in infrastructure projects – was commissioned by the Gabon Ministry of Public Works, Highways, Construction and the City to renovate and upgrade Gabon’s main national highway – the 47km Ndjole-Medoumane highway located in Gabon’s unforgiving Equatorial forests. The highway project began in 2011 to create an essential link between the towns of Ndjole and Medomane as part of the country’s regional and economic development.

To efficiently maximise its productivity and resources, DTP Terrassement required a means to offload its 300-strong fleet of machines at different times throughout the project. In IronPlanet, it found a partner well-equipped and willing to handle the challenges of the remote African location, as well as one that could market the machines to the optimal buyers from across the globe. Having previously collaborated on successful yet similarly challenging projects in Jamaica and Australia, DTP Terrassement was trusting of IronPlanet’s ability to deliver at any time, in any location on the planet.

Moving Multiple Machines
Because the prestigious project was split into stages, it meant that different types of machines would only be required for certain tasks – such as work on four bridges, 78 culverts, 90 pipes, a bus terminal, a truck weighing station and five parking stations for logging trucks. Once the machines’ tasks had been completed, DTP Terrassement sought IronPlanet’s flexible and efficient auctioning service to sell the excess equipment – including crushing plants, asphalt plants, concrete plants and cranes. IronPlanet holds online auctions on a monthly basis, or can set up individual auctions for companies with large fleets. By working to understand and accommodate DTP Terrassement’s selling preferences, specific machines could be scheduled for auction when required. Holding onto machines unnecessarily was an unfeasible business strategy, so a service to move them almost immediately and at a fair market price was a significant factor in achieving DTP Terrassement’s goals. 

Quality Assurance
DTP Terrassement also knew that IronPlanet’s huge database of buyers would make their equipment visible to a wealth of interested parties worldwide – a luxury not often afforded to equipment sold out of remote regions, such as in parts of Africa.  
Furthermore, IronPlanet boasts unrivalled marketing capabilities that help justify the quality of the equipment to the buyers. Because DTP Terrassement and its parent company Bouygues Construction are such globally reputable companies, the maintenance of the machines is exceptional.

IronPlanet is quick to communicate this to buyers, but not only that, prove it. IronPlanet’s IronClad Assurance® is an initiative whereby an expert IronPlanet inspector will personally visit the sellers’ machines – regardless of location – and perform a thorough examination of their condition. All these details will then be displayed to potential buyers as they browse, and IronPlanet absorbs the responsibility for all the information that accompanies the machines. For DTP Terrassement’s machinery in Gabon, a team of IronPlanet inspectors travelled to the work site in the heart of the tropical forest to examine the equipment – with the first batch taking as little as eight days to comprehensively evaluate 100 machines.  

Tailored Service
In an environment beset by climatic and operational challenges, having IronPlanet shoulder the responsibility of machine transactions helped DTP Terrassement to maximise the profitability of the project through responsive machine disposition at great market value. Effectively managing a large quantity of machines in a remote part of the world required a bespoke service that IronPlanet was happy to provide. Paul Williamson, IronPlanet Major Accounts Director, who personally went to Gabon to work closely with DTP Terrassement – confirmed the company’s commitment: “We are delighted to expand our service to the farthest corners of the earth,” he said.

“For our sellers, they need not worry about the location of their project hampering their potential to move the machines – even from the most challenging locations. For our buyers, there should be no fear in purchasing equipment from wherever in the world because we personally guarantee the quality of every machine we sell.”