Bidding on a new location

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This article was published 11/01/2019 (2677 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Loren McDougall said the yard space at 5221 Portage Ave. caught his attention.

McDougall, founder of McDougall Auctioneers Ltd., headquartered in Emerald Park, Sask., was scouting for a new Manitoba location on the outskirts of Winnipeg with frontage on a major highway.

The property at 5221 Portage Ave. owned by Kyle Heerah, who operates All Seasons Powersports, is situated next to the Trans-Canada Highway and is just a few kilometres west of Winnipeg in the RM of Headingley. McDougall is leasing part of the building and the yard from Heerah.

“I thought it would be a dream location,” McDougall said. “We try to get all our locations on a major highway.”

He applied to Headingley council for a conditional use permit and council voted in favour of his application with some landscaping requirements following a public hearing at council’s Jan. 8 meeting.

McDougall’s son-in-law Jay Francis, Manitoba sales manager, operates the company’s Brandon, Man. location which opened last May. McDougall said he wanted to have a second Manitoba site that will be his sixth overall, with five in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta and one in New Brunswick.

McDougall started the company in 1982 and about seven years ago switched from conducting live auctions to online auctions that now make up about 98 per cent of the company’s annual $40 million in sales. The company has 50,000 registered bidders from across North America and some from overseas.

McDougall said he’s even sold heavy equipment to buyers in Africa.

Their inventory typically turns over every two to three weeks with auction items such as vehicles, trucks, trailers, farm equipment, jewelry, tools and other items coming from private individuals, bailiffs, lawyers, private and public corporations, governments, banks, insurance and trust companies, among others.

Would-be bidders can visit the McDougall locations to see some of the items in the two-week period before an auction is held, however most customers view items online. Three or four sales are held each day.

McDougall said the new Headingley location will provide four new jobs. Overall, the business is a real family affair with his sons-in-law Riley McChesney acting as vice-president of sales and Ben Harrison as vice-president of operations, respectively.

Now that he has received municipal approval, McDougall hopes to soon start construction of a secure fenced area to act as a temporary holding compound for vehicles, equipment and other auction items.

“Our goal is to be active this spring.”

He hopes that local residents will take advantage of his company’s services as well. “It’s like eBay, but it’s in your backyard.”

For more information, see http://mcdougallbay.com/index.php