Walters Group Trusts Ritchie Bros. with 2025 Fleet Renewal

For over 40 years, Walters Group has been a powerhouse in the UK’s Civil Engineering, Plant Hire, Earthworks and services to the Quarrying Industry. With a fleet of up to 1,000 heavy assets, and a reputation built on strong relationships and service delivery, the company has established itself as a leader in the industry.

In 2025, Walters Group is embarking on a significant fleet renewal project, and it has chosen Ritchie Bros. as its partner for this crucial undertaking.

Asset management a key initiative

Huw Richards, Chief Operating Officer, has been with Walters Group for 33 years, witnessing the company’s growth from its South Wales roots to a UK-wide operation. Part of his extremely varied role is to focus on asset management, making the 2025 fleet renewal a key initiative.

“Every year we embark on a significant fleet renewal, but our disposal strategy has been somewhat ad-hoc in recent years,” Richards explains. “With the significant increase in capital value of new equipment, we wanted to develop a more strategic approach to owning, operating, and disposing of our assets.”

Walters Group’s fleet, consisting of mid to large-sized equipment, plays a crucial role in their earthworks, quarrying, demolition, and civil engineering contracts. They pride themselves on their in-house maintenance capabilities, with two large workshops and over 50 plant maintenance personnel ensuring their machines are always in top condition.

Equipment will start selling in March auction

For their 2025 fleet renewal, Walters Group will be selling a range of well-maintained equipment through Ritchie Bros., starting with the March 26-27 auction.

“The first wave will include a mixture of mid-size wheel loaders, articulated and rigid dump trucks, dozers and some specific material handling equipment ” Richards details. “We’ll also be offering a selection of our equipment on Ritchie Bros’ online marketplace ‘Marketplace-E’, offering customers a different buying experience and reaching a wider audience.”

Tailored strategy for a deeply valued customer

Richards explains that the decision to partner with Ritchie Bros. was driven by their unique approach and the ability to create a tailored strategy.

“We liked that Ritchie Bros. offered us various platforms across the year and routes to the customer, as opposed to a traditional single auction,” he said. “They demonstrated a clear understanding of our needs and proposed a bespoke auction strategy that aligns perfectly with our specific requirements.

“Following their great success with another disposal sale at the end of 2024, we were confident in their ability to deliver a comprehensive and effective solution for our fleet renewal.”

A relationship built over 30 years

Walters Group have had a working relationship with Ritchie Bros that goes back over 30 years. When Richards sat down with Mr. Walters, the founder and chairman of the company, over a cup of tea a few weeks ago, he told him of the fleet dispersal plans.

“He simply said to me, ‘We have dealt with (Ritchie Bros.) for many years, it will work well,'” recalls Richards. This endorsement from the company’s founder underscores the deep-rooted trust and confidence Walters Group places in Ritchie Bros.

“The Ritchie Bros. resources, such as inspection reports, are also invaluable. There’s a lot of weight and trust in a Ritchie Bros. report.”

Unmatched global reach

Richards highlights the importance of Ritchie Bros.’ global reach, particularly in today’s digital age.

“Many of the buyers we anticipate buying our machines would be from outside the UK, and they have routes into so many countries,” he notes. “When we saw the work they did with the fleet renewal auction end of 2024, we were really impressed. These types of sales drew us to start conversations with them.”

An influential partnership

He also believes that Walters Group’s partnership with Ritchie Bros. will inspire others in the industry. “We feel like we are respected within the industry, and so we hope others will see the success of our partnership with Ritchie Bros. and consider doing similar,” Richards says.

His advice for other sellers is to embrace the process.

“This route has helped get us focused as a business,” he concludes. “You have a deadline to get everything ready for, and that means it gets done and it’s handled. So far, our experience with Ritchie Bros. has been very good!”

The partnership between Walters Group and Ritchie Bros. in 2025 signifies a strategic alignment built on trust, professionalism, and a shared commitment to delivering exceptional service.

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