RB Global Inc. announced last Wednesday (March 4) it will buy Nebraska-based BigIron for an undisclosed sum, expecting to close the deal in the second half of this year.

BigIron, whose roots in the auction business date back to 1984, is now billed as “a scaled, agriculture-focused online marketplace connecting buyers and sellers of agricultural equipment, land, livestock, and other farm and ranch assets.”

According to RB Global, BigIron processed about $885 million in gross transaction value in the 12 months ending last Sept. 30, including about $520 million worth of farm assets and vehicles and about $365 million in farmland and real estate transactions (all figures US$).

“BigIron brings a talented team with deep ag sector knowledge and an established sales footprint that will continue operating as a stand-alone brand while being complemented by the Ritchie Bros. industrial footprint,” RB Global CEO Jim Kessler said in a release. “This will create opportunities to serve even more customers through a combination of onsite, offsite, and digital channels and solutions.”

BigIron co-founder Ron Stock noted BigIron will remain a stand-alone operation within RB Global, with he and co-founder Mark Stock “involved in the business as usual.”

“Through this combination, we gain a larger platform and additional resources, which is expected to help us deliver even greater choice and liquidity to all the sellers we serve,” Mark Stock said in the same release.

RB Global dates back to the founding of Ritchie Bros. in Kelowna in 1958, from which it expanded its services into the U.S. and overseas and bought several Canadian and U.S. auction firms, becoming publicly traded in 1998. Its corporate headquarters has since moved to the Chicago area.

In its last fiscal year ending Dec. 31, RB Global booked $412.8 million in net income on total revenue of $4.28 billion, handling a gross transaction value of $15.9 billion.

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It started when he was a child. While most kids his age would have been playing with their friends or involved in hobbies, Lawes was already looking forward to his future, hanging out at the auction mart and developing his chant. What he wanted to do with the rest of his life was never a question.

“I think I was 10 or 12 years old when I knew I was going to be an auctioneer,” Lawes says.

Now, he has achieved that childhood dream. In May 2025, Lawes won the Livestock Markets Association of Canada’s Canadian Livestock Auctioneering Championship in Brandon, Man.

Family business

Lawes grew up near Provost, Alta., and spent his formative years at the Provost Livestock Exchange. His grandfather moved to Provost in 1972 and purchased the livestock exchange in 1976. The business remains in the family with Lawes’s father, Dean, now a co-owner alongside Darcy Lakevold. Both Lawes and his brother, Jesse, work at the livestock exchange as fieldmen while also nurturing their passion for auctioneering.

“Both my grandpa on my mom’s side and my granddad on my dad’s side were auctioneers and my dad’s an auctioneer, so it was kind of bred right into me to be an auctioneer and I feel very blessed that I do enjoy it,” Lawes says.

Before working full-time at the Provost Livestock Exchange, he attended Lakeland College in Vermilion, Alta., and obtained his ag business diploma. Following that, he moved to Billings, Montana, to attend auctioneer school.

He now lives in Provost with his wife, Makayla, and their four children.

Lawes also competes in rodeo in steer wrestling, and in 2024 he was named the Lakeland steer wrestling champion.

Responsibilities of auctioneers

Part of the reason Lawes is so passionate about auctioneering is because of the role he plays in selling cattle.

“These ranchers trust in you to gather all the dollars available that day and I take great pride in sitting up there and marketing their cattle.”

Lawes emphasizes the importance of the auction mart for true price discovery. He says it is the fairest way to get the best price for cattle. The auctioneer helps with that by talking about the reputation of the ranch and its breeding programs.

And, with the current cattle prices, it is a good time to be in the industry.

“It’s very satisfying as an auctioneer… because these ranchers are very hard-working people and they appreciate every penny you get for them, and they appreciate your hard work.”

While there are many benefits to being an auctioneer and it is rewarding, it is hard to get your foot in the door.

Lawes says he was lucky to have access to the Provost Livestock Exchange and to have auctioneers who would let him have mic time.

“They really pushed us young guys to get up there and get better. Make yourself better, build a path, build a career.”

Other challenges for auctioneers are maintaining their voice throughout the sale and keeping the sale’s momentum going.

Chasing the win

Lawes has been involved with the Livestock Markets Association of Canada for many years and has competed in the auctioneer competition many times. In 2019, he won Rookie of the Year and in 2023, his brother, Jesse, won the championship.

Both of those events drove Lawes to chase his win.

“Winning Rookie of the Year, it built a lot of fire and gave me some confidence that I was able to compete there.”

Though Lawes went into the 2025 auctioneer competition with high hopes, when he was named the winner, the whole thing felt surreal.

Lawes competed against 38 other auctioneers from all across Canada this year. Together, they auctioned 5,111 head of cattle for total sales over $16.8 million.

Tyler Slawinski was the Reserve Champion. Rookie of the Year was Russell Allison. Rob Bergevin won High Point Interview. Most Improved Auctioneer was Kody Lakevold and Blaine Hutson took home Contestants’ Choice.

Future

Lawes will be competing in the International Livestock Auctioneer Championship in Calgary in July. And while he hopes to compete in the World Livestock Auctioneering Championship in the future, for now, he is focusing on spending time with his family, as he has young children.

Lawes is on the Livestock Markets Association of Canada board and plans to continue supporting the organization.

“I am thankful for my family, thankful for my mom and dad and my wife and my brother, Jesse, and thankful for the Lakevold family for allowing me to go to these competitions and represent us on a Canadian level.”

As an award-winning auctioneer, Lawes knows how hard it can be for up-and-coming auctioneers to reach a professional level.

“The biggest advice I could give for up-and-coming auctioneers is just be genuine. Be yourself. Be passionate and respectful. Humble and kind is going to take you a long, long way.”

The post Auctioneering is a family tradition for Alberta brothers appeared first on Canadian Cattlemen.

Alberta author busts myths about history of women in ranching

Women have been largely absent from the written history of ranching, aside from cursory comments about the West being “hell on horses and women.” Such a comment likely reveals more about the prejudice of its author than women’s contributions to ranching. None of that sat well with rancher Rachel Herbert, so she dug into her own family’s ranching history in southern Alberta, as well as several other sources, to set the record straight.

Beef industry bids farewell to Charlie Gracey

Speaking of people contributing to the industry, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who gave more than Charlie Gracey. From helping to eradicate brucellosis to helping establish Canfax to his work on carcass grading systems, Gracey’s influence will be felt for many years to come. Gracey succumbed to a heart attack in May 2024, but he will be remembered across the country for his contributions, approachability and humour.

Rise of the rookie auctioneer

Nineteen-year-old Lars Deleeuw, a self-taught auctioneer, did what no one else had done before at the 25th annual Canadian Livestock Auctioneering Championship this past spring. He took home buckles for both Rookie of the Year and Grand Champion.

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