18 Years at Ritchie Bros.: An extraordinary story of internal mobility amidst life’s challenges

Throughout the year, we feature employees sharing their unique stories about their time at Ritchie Bros. In this edition, Jacob Bumgarner, Ritchie Bros. Operational Effectiveness Manager, talks about internal mobility and career progression, work-life balance, and how he’s been supported in times of family crisis.

I was hired in early 2005 at our Chicago, Illinois, location to work as a casual part-time yard staff employee supporting a paving company dispersal. I worked weekends and evenings picking up trash and sorting out lots for the upcoming auction.  Working closely with the team, I had a lot of fun learning what happens in the auction world. And, while it was a job and we had lots to do, it was almost like being a big kid in a giant sandbox working around all the construction gear!  Let’s just say, that after the sale was completed, I was left wanting more!

I continued to work on other offsite sales as well as in the main yard, building my skills within the auction industry. In 2006, I applied for a full-time position as an Equipment Inventory Clerk, kicking off what has been an amazing journey. I moved into various other roles such as as Equipment Inspector, Loader Operator, and Sale Site Coordinator. In 2009, I moved into management, relocating to Las Vegas, Nevada, as a Yard Manager.  It was an amazing four and a half years in Las Vegas, meeting so many wonderful people on the operations and sales side, as well as vendors and customers in the Ritchie Bros. world. 

Fast forward to late 2013 when the opportunity arose to relocate to Edmonton, Alberta, and work at what is arguably the flagship site of the company. I began the first of several roles here – Yard Manager, Sr. Yard and Equipment Manager, and Assistant Regional Operations Manager. Finally, in 2022 I began my current role of Operational Effectiveness Manager and after all that time, I was recently able to relocate back to Chicago Illinois where it all started.  It has been an incredible 18-year journey with an amazing organization surrounded by wonderful people.

Tell us a little more about your current role. What are some of the most exciting aspects? Biggest challenges?

As the Operations Effectiveness Manager, I have had the opportunity to take what I have learned over the 18 years in our company and apply that knowledge and experience to our teams and sites across Canada.  The most exciting aspects of this role are the opportunities to work with and develop our teams to ensure that all sites can maximize efficiency. This includes developing strategies that include streamlining processes, system upgrades, training, and evaluating our operations.

The company constantly evolves in all directions with new channels and technology while maintaining a continued focus to deliver for our customers. Stepping out of the Auction and Sale Day cycle deadlines I had been accustomed to and moving into new deadlines and different goals was also a unique challenge. The other biggest challenge has been moving from being a direct manager to an indirect manager. In this role, I must work to engage with a variety of teams and mitigate competing priorities so that we achieve a successful outcome together.

Ritchie Bros. prides itself on internal mobility, why do you feel this is valuable for employees and perspective employees?

An exciting thing about Ritchie Bros has been its support of internal mobility.  As I previously mentioned, I have had the opportunity to grow and succeed in various positions within the company. There is no mentality to hold anyone back at Ritchie Bros, but rather to develop and succeed. 

An exciting thing for me along the way has been to see those who either worked directly for me or around me succeed and grow in the organization. Internal mobility is valuable for employees and prospective employees because it provides an opportunity for growth and success.  It also gives perspective to employees that no matter where you start, there are more opportunities for you to grow and reach the goals you have set for yourself.  The chances for success are greater at Ritchie Bros. because of the support of internal mobility.

Tell us about a pivotal moment you faced in your career progression, and how Ritchie Bros. responded.

A key moment for me in my career was the self-recognition of how positive and rewarding it is to surround yourself with motivated individuals with a drive to succeed.  Regardless of your tenure, title, or position, I truly believe this is a key to success.

Another crucial key is to not only collaborate with like-minded individuals but also to work with and embrace others with different views, opinions, and experiences.  This will drive and deliver different ideas and outcomes with outside-the-box thinking.  It is critical to have a difference of experience and a difference in views to see the bigger picture and develop better plans, therefore achieving a better outcome. It has helped me greatly during my relocation to Las Vegas and Edmonton, regardless of the title or task I have been engaged with. Every task and position you tackle has a variety of challenges.

Not everyone has the answer for everything, and that is okay. However, it is a recipe for success when you use critical thinking, stay calm and collected, and align yourself with others who are equally motivated. Ritchie Bros. has been key in teaching me this through interaction with colleges and the training and development they have offered.

How has Ritchie Bros. provided you with work-life balance and flexibility over the years?

Ritchie Bros is a very busy business with many deadlines for projects or upcoming sales.  Since the beginning, it has always been a push to work hard and play hard. With Ritchie Bros, we are an event-based organization, and most of what we do is planned up to a year or more in advance.  This gives us the ability to plan ahead and enjoy a work-life balance with vacations, friends, family, hobbies, and more. We work to support each other when things come up, and working in teams allows us to still meet our deadlines.  Work-life balance and flexibility at Ritchie Bros. is a priority.

When individuals and families struggle in times of need, companies can support their employees in many ways. How has Ritchie Bros. helped you in those situations over the years?

I have felt the company’s support through exciting times, such as my marriage to my amazing wife Amanda, the birth of my son Xavier, and all relocations across North America. Each stop along the way I knew that Ritchie Bros was there on all levels to support me and my family.

While I already knew the support was there from the exciting times in life, it was not until the darker times that I would truly see how strong this company’s support was. First, in 2014 at the age of 29, my wife was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer. There were many appointments for chemo, radiation, and follow-up surgery and checkups. Then, in February of 2016, we faced the worst time of our family’s life as we almost lost our son Xavier.  Xavier spent numerous weeks in the Stollory Children’s Hospital as he was in a coma with several unknown complications. He was left with permanent brain damage as well as a seizure disorder and had to relearn how to walk, eat, and many more challenges.

The strong support from all levels at Ritchie Bros. for me, my wife, and my son helped my family navigate these difficult times.  To this day, our family is absolutely taken back by the love and support we received from so many within the company. There are many avenues of support within Ritchie Bros as life happens and we are grateful for this.

Is there anything else you would like to share about your time at Ritchie Bros.?

I have had a lot of fun along my journey at Ritchie Bros.  This company has opened so many opportunities along the way from the people that I have met and the places I have been able to see. My favorite thing about working for Ritchie Bros. is that every day is different, exciting, and engaging. Even after 18 years, it has never felt like a boring 9 to 5 job.  From the first day up to and including today, as I type this, it has been a constant evolution of many things, keeping me engaged and excited about what I do.  This is thanks to the people in the organization and the customers we interact with.  I am equally excited about the future and thankful that I joined the organization.