Purple Wave Auction
Purple Wave Auction is a private online auction platform founded in 2000 that sells used farm, construction, and heavy equipment through no-reserve weekly auctions, serving agriculture, construction, government, fleet, finance, and rental sectors across the United States.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersManhattan, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Purple Wave Auction does
Purple Wave Auction is a privately held online auction company founded in 2000 and headquartered in Manhattan, Kansas, that operates a no-reserve auction platform for used farm, machinery, and heavy equipment. The platform runs approximately 141 auctions per year on a weekly cadence, with each auction featuring between 100 and 700 assets, and serves sellers and buyers across agriculture, construction, finance, government, rental, and fleet verticals. Unlike traditional commission-based auctioneers, Purple Wave charges sellers a flat $100 fee per asset or lot while buyers pay a 10% premium on winning bids, and assets remain on the seller's property throughout the process, eliminating logistics friction.
The company's core technology is its proprietary online auction platform, augmented by full-service support capabilities including marketing, transportation coordination, appraisals, photography, evaluations, and title transfer processing. Distribution is hybrid: a self-serve online channel accessible nationwide is complemented by a field-sales motion consisting of regional territory managers (e.g., North Dakota) and a newly launched Enterprise Accounts team of five sales managers targeting strategic growth in fleet, finance, government, and rental sectors. Notable customer engagements span SMB land-clearing firms (S&A Land Clearing), mid-market transportation operators (Standard Forwarding Freight), county governments (Louisa County), and educational nonprofits (Alva Oklahoma FFA).
Purple Wave generates revenue through two transaction-based streams: a flat $100 seller fee per asset or lot and a 10% buyer premium on winning bids. The company employs 101-250 people, has no disclosed funding rounds or institutional ownership, and actively participates in industry events such as CONEXPO-CON/AGG. Founder and CEO Aaron McKee leads the organization, which has operated continuously for over 25 years without public listings or disclosed M&A activity.
Purple Wave Auction firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Purple Wave Auction
- Legal name
- Purple Wave Auction
- Website
- https://purplewave.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Purple Wave Auction is a private online auction platform founded in 2000 that sells used farm, construction, and heavy equipment through no-reserve weekly auctions, serving agriculture, construction, government, fleet, finance, and rental sectors across the United States.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Purple Wave Auction industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Equipment Auctions
- NAICS
- Construction and Mining (except Oil Well) Machinery and Equipment Merchant Wholesalers (423810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wholesale Vehicle Auctions (Physical & Online) (TLABAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Land & Farm/Ranch Real Estate Auctions (BPAJAEAD)
Keywords
Where Purple Wave Auction is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Manhattan
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Purple Wave Auction business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Seller Transaction Fees: Sellers pay a flat $100 fee per asset or lot with no commission charged. Assets remain on sellers' properties throughout the process.
- Buyer Premium: Buyers pay a 10% premium on won items, providing a transaction-based revenue stream.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Sellers pay flat $100 per asset or lot |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Buyers pay 10% premium |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Purple Wave Auction product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Purple Wave Auction is an internet auction service that sells used farm, construction, and heavy equipment to the highest bidder through no-reserve online auctions. Sellers pay a flat $100 fee per asset or lot with no commission, while buyers pay a 10% premium on winning bids. Assets remain on sellers' properties throughout the process, and Purple Wave provides full-service support including evaluations, photography, marketing, transportation coordination, and title transfers.
Product overview
Purple Wave Auction operates as a unified online equipment auction platform that combines its core auction marketplace with integrated support services. The platform features multiple smaller weekly auctions (100-700 assets each) and offers full-service support including marketing, transportation, appraisals, evaluations, photography, and title transfers. The company serves diverse sectors including agriculture, construction, finance, government, rental, and fleet, conducting approximately 141 auctions annually.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Online Equipment Auction Platform
Quantifiable outcome
- 141 auctions conducted in 2025
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Purple Wave Auction
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Purple Wave Auction technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Purple Wave Auction partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Purple Wave Auction competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (RB Global): The dominant global heavy-equipment auctioneer (now RB Global), operating both physical and online auctions for construction, agriculture, and transportation equipment. Closest direct competitor to Purple Wave's online heavy-equipment auction model, with substantially larger scale and international reach.
- IronPlanet: Online-only heavy-equipment auction marketplace acquired by Ritchie Bros. Operates the same online auction format Purple Wave uses, focused on construction, agricultural, and transportation equipment — directly competing for sellers and bidders.
- AuctionTime: Online farm and construction equipment auction platform owned by RB Global. Runs timed online auctions with weekly cadence similar to Purple Wave, providing a direct head-to-head competitor in the agriculture and light construction segments.
- TractorHouse: Online marketplace for new and used farm equipment, construction equipment, and trucks. While primarily listings-based rather than auction-based, it serves the same seller and buyer audience as Purple Wave and overlaps on price discovery and reach.
- Proxibid: Online auction platform hosting heavy equipment, government surplus, and industrial asset auctions. Comparable marketplace structure and target verticals (government, construction, fleet), competing directly with Purple Wave for sellers and buyers in similar asset categories.
- GovDeals: Online auction platform specialising in government and public-sector surplus asset disposition (vehicles, equipment, real property). Competes directly with Purple Wave's government surplus auction product line.
- TruckPaper: Online marketplace for new and used trucks, trailers, and commercial vehicles. Overlaps with Purple Wave's fleet alignment sales and transportation/logistics vertical (e.g., Standard Forwarding Freight type engagements).
- Fastline Media Group: Agricultural equipment marketplace and publication group with online listings and auction integrations. Serves the same farm-equipment seller and buyer base as Purple Wave's agriculture vertical.
Broad incumbents
- Copart: Global online vehicle auction leader (salvage and used vehicles) with a much larger platform. Broader vehicle focus but overlaps with Purple Wave on government fleet, repossession, and surplus vehicle auctions.
- IAA (Insurance Auto Auctions): Major vehicle auction house specialising in salvage and total-loss vehicles, owned by Ritchie Bros./RB Global. Competes indirectly with Purple Wave's fleet and government vehicle disposition services.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Purple Wave Auction social profiles
Digital presencePurple Wave Auction financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Purple Wave Auction leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Purple Wave Auction funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Purple Wave Auction M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Purple Wave Auction
What does Purple Wave Auction do?
Purple Wave Auction is an internet auction service that sells used farm, construction, and heavy equipment to the highest bidder through no-reserve online auctions. Sellers pay a flat $100 fee per asset or lot with no commission, while buyers pay a 10% premium on winning bids. Assets remain on sellers' properties throughout the process, and Purple Wave provides full-service support including evaluations, photography, marketing, transportation coordination, and title transfers.
Is Purple Wave Auction a public or private company?
Purple Wave Auction is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Purple Wave Auction founded?
Purple Wave Auction was founded in 2000. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Purple Wave Auction based?
Purple Wave Auction is headquartered in Manhattan, United States, in the North America region.
How does Purple Wave Auction make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Seller Transaction Fees are the primary driver. The others are buyer Premium.
Who are Purple Wave Auction's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (RB Global), IronPlanet, AuctionTime, TractorHouse, Proxibid, GovDeals, TruckPaper and Fastline Media Group. Broad incumbents are Copart and IAA (Insurance Auto Auctions).
Does Purple Wave Auction have an API?
No public API is recorded for Purple Wave Auction.
What industry is Purple Wave Auction in?
Purple Wave Auction's product category is Online Equipment Auctions. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLABAKAA, Wholesale Vehicle Auctions (Physical & Online), with a secondary code of BPAJAEAD, Land & Farm/Ranch Real Estate Auctions. Its NAICS code is 423810.