Equippo buys German start-up

Online equipment marketplace Equippo has acquired Sellma, based in Berlin, Germany, which it described as a start-up dedicated to helping German construction companies sell their used equipment to traders worldwide “in an easy and fast online transaction”.

At the same time, Equippo is expanding its services with a permanent auction yard in Zeebrugge, Belgium, to deliver a multichannel platform for its customer base.

Its first online and live auction at this new location will be on December 4.

Equippo, founded in Switzerland and in its fourth year of trading, now has 20 full-time employees.

Michael Rohmeder, Equippo’s founder and CEO, said that Sellma was focused on end-user sellers, while Equippo was focused on end-user buyers.

“There is a perfect strategic fit,” he said, “and also a geographic match. We want to offer the best experience and the best prices, both for buyers and sellers, with our innovative channels.”

Equippo offers a money-back guarantee and independent inspection policy.

Rohmeder said, “Equippo’s strategy is to be the technology leader in this business by expanding its offering with Sellma online, and also listening to seller needs for a delivery address and definite sale.

“The large rental companies specifically asked us to build these channel features. This includes the choice of the best possible strategic location of our auction site in Zeebrugge – the largest ro-ro (roll-on/roll-off) port in the world.”

He added that the online activities and the live auction in Zeebrugge would be the basis for the technological transformation not only of the used equipment trade but the auction business as well.

“We are a technology company as much as construction people, and build software in house, which delivers the advantage of speed of development for features on both our buyer and seller side.”