Riley Surface World occupies a unique place
within the UK Surface Finishing Industry. While there are many companies
that supply machinery and install plating and finishing plants. We are
the only company that relies almost entirely on the buying and selling
of capital equipment for our income.
Ever
since our inception back in 1966, we have pursued a very simple
business model. Redundant equipment from electroplating and surface
treatment companies is inspected, valued and shipped to our large
warehouse. If all goes to plan, another company in need of the same
equipment visits us, inspects the machine, agrees a price and it is
shipped out again.
If only it was
that simple! We now live in a world where there are a myriad number of
ways to buy and sell and choice of places to go. One way in particular
that has become increasingly significant is the online auction.
Back
in the good old days, industrial auctions took place in draughty
factories and were frequented by rogues, vagabonds and thieves! They
were on opportunity to meet up with fellow dealers, lament the passing
of time, compare business successes, kick a few tyres, share a bacon
sandwich and do a deal.
But times
have moved on. The man in the bowler hat with the hammer has been
replaced by the techno wizards of the online auction houses that now
spread their networks across continents. The global success of eBay has
spawned a new generation of companies specialising in asset realisation
and disposal. Equipment is traded all around the world at the click of a
mouse, from widgets to aircraft carriers.
This
is a development to be embraced rather than feared. It is good for
sellers because it exposes their goods to a worldwide community of
relevant purchasers. So polishing lathes or stoving ovens that are
surplus to requirements in Birmingham can find new homes in Brazil.
For
buyers, tracking down machinery that is suitable for your coating or
finishing operation is no longer a chore. The use of universal search
engines such as Google or Yahoo will pinpoint the sites where the
products are for sale. The elegance of the bidding process determines a
fair price that is agreed by both sides, removing the reticence of some
to barter with the seller. It is the very essence of market forces at
work.
New electronic payment
methods such as PayPal and NOCHEX overcome many of the hurdles such as
letters of credit that can prove to be a nightmare for exporters. The
language of auctions is universal; everybody understands the value of
money. And with many of the established auction houses now offering a
‘self-upload’ facility for equipment, you don’t even have to speak to
the auctioneer to get your machine sold.
Riley Surface World has for some time been allocating time and resources in
order to utilise the power of many online auction sites. They represent
the new frontier in global trading. Buying and selling goods online is
dynamic, immediate, profitable and makes good business sense.
