Forty materials handling units - mostly forklifts - went through separate auctions in Wisconsin plants in Kimberly and Green Bay.

"We don't sell groups of forklifts often," says Bryce Hansen, co-owner of Hansen & Young Auctioneers Inc in Prairie Farm, Wisconsin.

In the Kimberly site, "we found a good market for the forklifts", Hansen says. Reception for the best maintained equipment was "real good" with some units in "pretty tough" condition, needing repairs and improvements.

In addition to several walkie pallet jacks and a Caterpillar 930 Payloader, the Hansen & Young team auctioned 13 Hyster forklifts with lifting capacities of 2,350-12,000 lb. (1,058-5,400 kg), five Cat forklifts with capacities of 5,000-6,000 lb. (2,250-2,700 kg) and one Yale forklift with capacity of 4,000 lb. (1,800 kg). Several units were equipped with a turn-able paper-roll attachment or a rotating grapple but lacked forklift tines. Other lifts included two Mec scissor lifts - a 203 3ES and 193 2ES - and a Genie boom lift Z-30/20N.

Referring to the Kimberly auction, "overall, the sellers are really happy", Hansen notes.

Hansen & Young characterise the Kimberly auction as "one of the largest industrial auctions in the state" of Wisconsin.

The Village of Kimberly issued a demolition permit on 29 August allowing a US unit of scrap metal recycler American Iron & Metal Co of Montreal, Quebec, Canada to tear down a long-unused 75,000 sqft. (6,750 sqm) portion of the 1.1 million sqft. (99,000 sqm) facility.

Hansen & Young held an onsite preview on 3-4 October in advance of the 5-6 October online auction of the forklifts, machining equipment, maintenance shop gear and various electrical devices.

Coated paper producer NewPage Corp of Miamisburg, Ohio closed the Kimberly mill in September 2008 and sold the property to American Iron & Metal in June 2011. NewPage filed in September for protection from creditors under Chapter 11 of the US Bankruptcy Code. Equity investor Cerberus Capital Management LP owns NewPage.

In the other Wisconsin activity, Hansen & Young conducted an online auction that involved materials handling units and large construction equipment.

The Selmer Co in Green Bay opted to liquidate its equipment, small tools and inventory as it transitions to construction management and consultation services from, historically, construction of commercial buildings.

The 21 pieces of materials handling equipment included propane-powered forklifts from Cat, Daewoo, Hyster, Komatsu, Toyota and Yale with lifting capacities of 5,000-6,000 lb. (2,250-2,700 kg); diesel-powered SkyTrak telehandlers with the same capacity range; and lift booms and scissor lifts carrying the JLG, Terex, Genie or Skyjack brand. Various pallet jacks were also auctioned.

Hansen & Young Auctioneers is a member of the MarkNet Alliance network of auction companies.