RB Global agrees to acquire U.S. farming marketplace

Executive Summary

• RB Global Inc. has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire BigIron Auction Company, a leading agriculture-focused online marketplace, to accelerate its strategic expansion into the U.S. agriculture sector.
• The acquisition is expected to be completed in the second half of 2026, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.
• BigIron will continue to operate as a stand-alone brand, leveraging RB Global’s industrial footprint to serve more customers through onsite, offsite, and digital channels.

Key Details

• Transaction Structure: Definitive agreement to acquire BigIron Auction Company.
• Target Profile: BigIron is a scaled, agriculture-focused online marketplace connecting buyers and sellers of agricultural equipment, land, livestock, and other farm and ranch assets.
• Financial Metrics (BigIron):
  • Processed roughly $885 million in gross transaction value (GTV).
  • Approximately $520 million from commercial assets and vehicles.
  • Approximately $365 million from agriculture land and real estate transactions.
• Strategic Rationale: RB Global aims to combine BigIron’s established sales footprint and ag sector knowledge with its own industrial footprint to create opportunities for serving more customers through a combination of onsite, offsite, and digital channels.
• Operational Status: BigIron will continue operating as a stand-alone brand. Co-founder Mark Stock and his partner will remain involved in the business.
• Closing Timeline: Expected in the second half of 2026.
• Pre-Closing Operations: RB Global and BigIron will continue to operate as independent companies in the ordinary course until closing.

Notable Quotes

• Jim Kessler, CEO of RB Global: "BigIron brings a talented team with deep ag sector knowledge and an established sales footprint that will continue operating as a stand-alone brand while being complemented by the Ritchie Bros. industrial footprint. This will create opportunities to serve even more customers through a combination of onsite, offsite, and digital channels and solutions."
• Mark Stock, Co-founder of BigIron: "We are proud of our team's tremendous work to establish BigIron as a leading auction marketplace for farmers, landowners and rural businesses... Through this combination, we gain a larger platform and additional resources, which is expected to help us deliver even greater choice and liquidity to all the sellers we serve."