Based in Nisku, AB, Omni Directional Boring provides a wide range of horizontal directional drilling services. At its peak the company operated one of the largest and most well-maintained fleets of drills (220,000 lbs and under) anywhere in the province.
“My brother, Bernie, and I have been in the drilling business since the 1990s but attended our first Ritchie Bros. sale with our dad in 80s,” said Leo Rodrigue, Vice President of Omni. “This is where we come to buy! We are always looking ahead at Ritchie Bros. sales online and then will visit the site the week of the sale to do our own inspections before we bid.”
Omni recently sold more than 500 equipment items and trucks at Ritchie Bros.’ site in Edmonton, AB, as part of a complete dispersal and retirement. Sales highlights included a 2020 Vermeer D220X300III directional drill that sold for CA$825,000, two 2020 Vermeer D40X55III directional drills that sold for CA$385,000 each, and a 2020 Peterbilt 567 16,692-litre tank truck that sold for CA$262,500.
Prior to choosing Ritchie Bros. for the sale of their assets, Omni worked with an equity firm to evaluate different sales options.
“We met with competitors, but Ritchie Bros.’ equipment knowledge and understanding of the market was unrivaled,” said Tom Stenglein, Chief Operating Officer of investment firm Sage Park. “Leo and Omni clearly have built a strong relationship with their Ritchie Bros. sales rep over the years, and I can see why—he was always very prepared.”
While Omni’s large equipment was on display at Ritchie Bros. Edmonton yard, many of Omni’s smaller items were sold virtually by Timed Auction from their yard in Nisku to buyers around the world. Using this virtual option, Omni was able to save transportation costs and Ritchie Bros. was able to save valuable yard space for more equipment.
“The Ritchie Bros. staff is amazing to deal with,” said Leo. “They setup and organized our whole yard, sold everything in one week and then cleaned up. It means a lot to work with a team like that.”
So, what’s next for Leo? “I still have my hydro vac facility and pipeline rolling business to keep me busy. I’m sure I will be back at Ritchie Bros. very soon,” he said.