United Auctioneers enters the big leagues

Mainstream auto firms used to dislike Subic-based United Auctioneers Inc. for drawing away buyers with their more affordable second-hand vehicle imports, especially in the early 2000s.

But that’s no longer the case—at least for auto firms —as company chair and president Dominic Sytin has pivoted the company into selling industrial trucks and heavy equipment.

More interestingly, the selling is made in regular US-style auctions at the company’s sprawling yard inside the former US naval base where the used equipment are offloaded from ships and “remanufactured” before being sold.

Thanks to the construction boom in the infrastructure sector that’s finally being jump-started by the administration of President Duterte, United Auctioneers is doing brisk business, but bidders often buy industrial vehicles in bulk (or in “lots” in auction jargon) rather than piecemeal.

And if you think the company is merely a mom and pop operation, think again. The numbers show that United Auctioneers is now the biggest auction firm in the country and has even gained the coveted global ISO 9001:2008 certification standard. That officially makes United Auctioneers the first and only industrial auction company in the world to be ISO 9001:2008 certified (Yes, “in the world”).

According to a statement from the firm, this certification is a testament to United Auctioneers’ new quality management system, which focuses on continuous improvement in all areas of operations, especially in the production of quality products, providing good customer service and satisfaction.

“With the ISO-certified quality management system now rooted in the company’s core processes and procedures, our customers can rest assured that we are committed to providing the best quality remanufactured industrial trucks and heavy equipment, as well as providing a fulfilling customer experience,” it said.

Not bad for a company that was being “dissed” by the country’s mainstream auto firms and is now a certified world-class outfit. Not bad at all. —DAXIM L. LUCAS