AEA takes pride in its boutique service offering, with on the ground expertise and decision-making support
With the financial year coming to an end last month, Australian Equipment Auctions (AEA) founder Brad Allender reflects on a busy period for the asset advisory and management consultant firm – and predicts a busy year ahead.
Allender who has around 45 years’ experience in the industry, founded AEA in 2000. He previously worked as managing director of JW Styles and with DoveBid.
Rather than expanding their services or staff after a busy year, AEA is determined to stay “boutique” to ensure it continues offering a high quality service to its clients.
“We’re going to be busy [this year],” Allender says.
“But we’re not going to expand or anything like that – we’re going to stay the way we are.
“We’re a boutique company – we don’t work for everyone. We go out and do the job, the guys pick things up and we go home,” he adds.
Located in Victoria, AEA provides expert asset management consultancy, valuations, auction services, rectification, transport and storage services, with comprehensive secure nationwide yard and storage facilities in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Hobart, Perth, Darwin and Albury / Wodonga.
Boutique service
Allender highlights a strong team at AEA, including long-time staff and casual workers, describing them as “very good at what they do”.
In fact, keeping things “boutique” is one of AEA’s major strengths, Allender explains, as it ensures clients get all the company’s available expertise on the ground.
“We’re a boutique company – we go out to do a particular job and it’s a case of all hands on deck to do that job,” he says.
“Anyone that gets us to do a job, everything goes through me.
“If they have any questions, they can ring me and I’ll answer their questions there and then on the spot.
“If a decision has to be made, I can make it there and then on the spot.
“I don’t have to worry about going to managers or anything like that to get decisions made – it’s on the ground decision-making.”
Allender adds that this ability to provide on-the-ground expertise and decision making at every project is just one other aspect that makes AEA stand out from the crowd.
The company boasts a broad knowledge base that includes plant, equipment and transport assets across all industry sectors and specialises in on–site valuation and auction services, with over 140 years of combined experience in the industry.
AEA provides clients with professional, accredited valuations, online auction sales, private treaty sales, managed tender processes, management services, consultancy services, rectification facilities and transport services support.
Some sales projects recently undertaken by AEA include major on-site auctions to dispose of earthmoving, mining, transport and surplus assets held on behalf of various blue chip Queensland and Australian power, energy, transport and mining companies.
AEA also recently conducted large transport and logistics, earthmoving equipment and surplus assets auctions on behalf of some of Australia’s premier transport and logistics and construction companies. This included the dedicated auction of the transport fleet of the Southern Hemisphere’s largest cattle and livestock transporter.
Auctions and Valuations
Whether you need an individual asset sold or a complete facility or fleet, AEA will evaluate your assets to provide a range of options for sale, aimed at ensuring maximum return.
AEA offers auction services in machinery, plant and equipment, transport, earthmoving, mining and more.
In terms of valuations, AEA offers its clients accurate, concise and realistic values. The company is happy to provide a valuation of an individual item or an entire facility of plant and equipment and inventory.
“We’re big in valuations and auctions,” Allender says, highlighting a slew of recent projects, including the Viking Group recovery, valuations at the Crown Casino and working with major mining companies.
AEA’s focus is on big machinery, the company’s managing director explains.
“We only do trucks and earthmoving here – we don’t do pots and pans or any of that sort of stuff,” he says. “It’s only earthmoving, trucks and mining. Most of our work is in liquidation,” he adds.
Restructuring services
AEA has seen increased demand for its reconstruction services, Allender explains, as some companies struggle to access financial help amid a changing economic landscape.
“We do a lot of restructuring work to where we refinance people and that sort of stuff,” he says.
“At the moment, a lot of our work is restructuring – some companies have a problem on their hands.”
For more information, visit the to Australian Equipment Auctions website here.
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