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For a year now, he has been transforming the auction market: Tom Christenson, CEO of TBAuctions. (© TBAuctions).

Underutilised opportunities: How auctions can succeed in the B2B market and where they currently fall short

The market for trading used industrial goods is already worth hundreds of billions, yet auctions account for only a small fraction of it. Many people associate auctions with financial distress and insolvency, while lack of awareness and a fragmented market pose additional barriers. Tom Christenson, CEO of TBAuctions, discusses the transformation of the auction business for used industrial goods ..

Nina de Souza, CPO of TBAuctions. (© TBAuctions).

TBAuctions Appoints Deliveroo Executive: Nina de Souza becomes the new Chief Product Officer

TBAuctions, a B2B multi-brand online auction platform in Europe, appointed Nina de Souza as its new Chief Product Officer. The American-born executive starts this week in Amsterdam and brings years of product innovation experience at Deliveroo and Hotels.com. As Director of Product at Deliveroo, she was responsible for optimizing the platform's Consumer app. With De Souza's arrival, TBAuctions aim

Used machines can easily be sold via online auctions. The industrial auction houses Surplex and Troostwijk Auctions are competent partners in the used machinery trade.  (© Billion Photos/Shutterstock.com).

Companies in transition: selling old machines, utilising new opportunities

When the next generation takes over the management of a company, it often brings a breath of fresh air and new ideas. But innovation also means change: old machines that tie up capital or no longer work efficiently have to go to make room for modernisation.
After many years as managing director, the question of succession arises at some point. In a family business, this is ideally someone from

Five smart, digital tools create a sustainable, efficient and resilient circular economy of production machinery by efficiently connecting companies with the used machinery market. (© ALICIA Circular Manufacturing Ecosystem).

EU project ALICIA creates circular economy for production lines


Circular economy meets Industry 4.0: How digital tools can shape the future of sustainable production. The EU project ALICIA aims to create a circular economy for production assets to minimise premature scrapping of machines and machine parts. Through the development of innovative digital tools, industrial companies and the used machinery market will be economically linked, allowing assets to

Grüne Innovation: Gebrauchte Industrieanlagen verringern den ökologischen Fußabdruck. (© Quality Stock Arts/Shutterstock.com).

Surplex erreicht das Finale des 17. Deutschen Nachhaltigkeitspreises


Das internationale Auktionshaus für gebrauchte Industriemaschinen Surplex hat es ins Finale des 17. Deutschen Nachhaltigkeitspreises geschafft. Der renommierte Preis, der am 28. November 2024 in Düsseldorf verliehen wird, zeichnet Vorreiter in Sachen Nachhaltigkeit aus. Mit dem Handel von Gebrauchtmaschinen leistet das Unternehmen einen wichtigen Beitrag zur Kreislaufwirtschaft, indem es die

The most expensive item at the auction was the DMG MORI SEIKI NMV 5000 DCG vertical machining centre. (© Surplex).

Exceeding expectations: AMRC and Surplex successfully auction machinery

The Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) at the University of Sheffield is a leading research institution in manufacturing engineering and material sciences. In February, 32 select, high-quality machines from the machine park were auctioned off by the industrial auction house Surplex. Phil Bell, Commissioning Engineer at AMRC, and Antony Reed, UK Country Manager for Surplex, take stock.

The larger the construction equipment, the higher the acquisition cost. Construction companies should therefore carefully consider whether to rent, lease, or buy new or used. (© Surplex).

Renting, leasing, buying new or used: Which procurement method suits your construction business?


In times of high interest rates and inflation, construction companies face the difficult decision of how to optimally expand or modernise their machinery fleet. Whether renting, leasing, buying new or used machines – each option has its specific advantages and disadvantages.
The construction industry is currently experiencing challenging market conditions. High interest rates, rising materi

From left to right: Uli Stalter, Managing Director of Surplex; Tom Christenson, CEO of TBAuctions; Michael Werker, Managing Director of Surplex. (© TBAuctions)

Surplex and TBAuctions join forces to expand the Continental European market

TBAuctions, Europe’s leading B2B multi-brand digital auction platform, is excited to announce the acquisition of Surplex. The transaction closed on 7th August 2024. This strategic move accelerates TBAuctions’ growth into seven new countries including Poland, Portugal, Romania, Czech Republic, Hungary, and Serbia. It also bolsters TBAuctions’ presence in Germany, Spain, France, and Italy, while add

The plant in Słupsk, Poland, plays a central role in the restructuring plans of the Swedish bus manufacturer. Here, drivetrains will primarily be manufactured in the future. (© Surplex).

New directions in bus production: Auction following restructuring of Swedish city bus manufacturer’s plant in Słupsk, Poland

Due to technological advancements and the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, bus manufacturing faces significant challenges, necessitating a realignment of business strategies. A leading Swedish manufacturer has ceased the production of complete buses and instead focuses on producing chassis with various drivetrains at its plant in Słupsk, Poland. As part of this restructuring, around 1,150

Stocks in Filstone‘s limestone quarry in Fátima, Portugal. (© Surplex).

Construction slump meets natural stone market: Is the crisis set in stone?


Whether it’s houses, staircases, or squares: natural stones are the foundation of everyday life. Yet, the global construction industry faces challenges such as rising raw material prices and supply chain issues, leading to cost increases and project delays. These factors directly impact the natural stone industry, where demand for materials like limestone and granite is declining, yet parado

Robots take on tasks such as loading the saw, turning and positioning the boards, and stacking the finished cuts. (© Surplex).

Carpentry 4.0: when robots and saws take over the night shift

Autonomous and without statutory break times – Robots can offer real value to carpentry workshops and boost production. However, acquiring such machines is often associated with high costs. Used machines might offer a viable solution.
Carpentry has been a traditional craft for centuries. Yet, this trade is not exempt from digitalisation and automation through the use of robots. The development

Green machines: This choice of colour is not only a piece of industrial history, but also an example of well thought-out workplace design. (© Surplex).

Why were old lathes, milling machines and drills green?

The green lathes, milling and drilling machines seem like relics from times gone by. These robust machines, often lacking CNC technology, are now rarely seen. From the 1950s to the 1980s, the so-called Reseda Green was one of the standard colours. Since green causes the least eye strain and helps prevent accidents in the workshop, Germany even had a standard, DIN 1844, until 1974, which specified

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Used machines for your success

Surplex has been one of Europe’s leading industrial auction houses for 25 years and trades worldwide in used machines and factory equipment. The 18-language auction platform Surplex.com has over 125,000 registered customers. The company is based in Düsseldorf and has offices in many European countries, including Spain, Italy, and CEE. More than 200 provide a full service in 20 languages.
Surplex became part of TBAuctions in August 2024, Europe’s leading multi-brand (Troostwijk Auctions, Klaravik, Auksjonen, PS Auction, British Medical Auctions, Vavato, and Auktionshuset dab), digital auction platform for B2B used goods. The TBAuctions group reach nearly 200 million annual site visits, sell over 1.6 million assets, receiving bids from 750k bidders in 175 countries, generating hammersales of more than €1.6 billion, and employing nearly 1,200 team members.