IronPlanet Appoints Governmental Sales Manager, Launches French Translation of Website

June 20, 2008
Pleasanton, Calif.-based IronPlanet, an online auction company for used construction and agricultural equipment, recently appointed Greg Forke governmental sales manager. Forke will be responsible for IronPlanet’s continued expansion in the governmental / municipal equipment market.

Pleasanton, Calif.-based IronPlanet, an online auction company for used construction and agricultural equipment, recently appointed Greg Forke governmental sales manager. Forke will be responsible for IronPlanet’s continued expansion in the governmental / municipal equipment market.

“Greg’s prior success and his highly regarded reputation in the auction business are major assets to IronPlanet as we look to accelerate this portion of our business,” said Mike Groves, senior vice president of North American sales for IronPlanet. “Greg’s experience in building successful auction businesses and his expertise in heavy equipment make him the ideal candidate to scale IronPlanet’s governmental / municipal organization.”

Forke has nearly 30 years of experience in the auction industry. He began his career as part of Forke Brothers, where he held several positions, including vice president of North American auction operations from 1992 until the company was sold in 1999. Most recently, he helped start the heavy construction equipment division for GoIndustry Michael Fox International, an auction company specializing in industrial machinery and manufacturing equipment.

The company also announced last week that it launched the French translation of its website as part of ongoing expansion initiatives in the Canadian marketplace.

“At IronPlanet, we are constantly focused on making used equipment acquisition and disposal easier and more profitable for our customers,” said Frank Despatie, IronPlanet’s managing director for Canada. “The release of the French version of our website demonstrates our commitment to the Canadian market and further establishes our presence with French-speaking customers.”

The French translation coincided with the company’s June 19 auction, with hundreds of items being liquidated from Quebec-based Hewitt Rentals, a subsidiary of Hewitt Equipment, Ltd. French-speaking visitors can access the list of equipment provided in the June auctions, as well as information on how to buy and sell equipment, by navigating to the IronPlanet website and clicking on Français in the upper right corner.

IronPlanet provides guaranteed inspection reports and exclusive IronClad Assurance to enable buyers to bid with a high degree of confidence. IronPlanet is backed by Accel Partners, Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, Caterpillar, Komatsu and Volvo. For more information, visit www.ironplanet.com.