In 1958, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers started operation working out of one half of a house. Today, the company – now the world’s largest industrial auctioneer – is settling into a brand-new international head office covering more than 164,000 square feet.
Ritchie Bros. marked the official grand opening of its new building, constructed from the ground up in south Burnaby, B.C., on October 29 with a celebration that featured greetings from local political leaders and company officers. Hundreds of guests filled the spacious lobby of the new building to cheer the opening of the facility, which provides office space for around 300 employees.
“We have maintained our international head office in British Columbia throughout our history because we have found it to be an excellent place from which to manage our global business, and we have never forgotten our Kelowna (B.C.) roots,” said Peter Blake, CEO. “Gathering our team from three separate Richmond locations into one terrific new building in Burnaby is already generating benefits that allow us to serve our customers better.”
The building is in the process of being certified LEED Gold by the Canadian Green Building Council – the first in Burnaby to be so designated if successful. It is designed with plenty of open space and windows to allow natural light and a transparent nature that Blake noted is part of the company’s overall business philosophy. Employees are able to take advantage of a spacious child-care centre, catered cafeteria, and workout room. Located near the geographic centre of the Metro Vancouver region, commutes are eased for workers as well.
Special guests speaking at the event included Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan, Burnaby-Edmonds MLA Raj Chouhan, and company co-founder and Chairman Emeritus Dave Ritchie.
In 1958, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers started operation working out of one half of a house. Today, the company – now the world’s largest industrial auctioneer – is settling into a brand-new international head office covering more than 164,000 square feet.
Ritchie Bros. marked the official grand opening of its new building, constructed from the ground up in south Burnaby, B.C., on October 29 with a celebration that featured greetings from local political leaders and company officers. Hundreds of guests filled the spacious lobby of the new building to cheer the opening of the facility, which provides office space for around 300 employees.
“We have maintained our international head office in British Columbia throughout our history because we have found it to be an excellent place from which to manage our global business, and we have never forgotten our Kelowna (B.C.) roots,” said Peter Blake, CEO. “Gathering our team from three separate Richmond locations into one terrific new building in Burnaby is already generating benefits that allow us to serve our customers better.”
The building is in the process of being certified LEED Gold by the Canadian Green Building Council – the first in Burnaby to be so designated if successful. It is designed with plenty of open space and windows to allow natural light and a transparent nature that Blake noted is part of the company’s overall business philosophy. Employees are able to take advantage of a spacious child-care centre, catered cafeteria, and workout room. Located near the geographic centre of the Metro Vancouver region, commutes are eased for workers as well.
Special guests speaking at the event included Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan, Burnaby-Edmonds MLA Raj Chouhan, and company co-founder and Chairman Emeritus Dave Ritchie.
