PMI

What PMI does

Plant & Machinery, Inc. (PMI) is a privately held industrial appraisal, auction, and liquidation firm founded in 1984 and headquartered in Houston, Texas. The company conducts public auctions, orderly liquidations, and sealed bid sales of industrial machinery and equipment, and serves Fortune 200 corporations, U.S. Bank Holding Companies, and U.S. Bankruptcy Trustees facing plant closures, downsizing, bankruptcy, or foreclosure. Operations span 42 U.S. states and seven countries (Canada, Mexico, Singapore, Malaysia, Holland, Scotland), supported by a core staff of approximately 11 employees organized around an enterprise field-sales model with on-site coordinators running auctions from facility visit through final equipment removal.

PMI offers five primary auction formats — live on-location with simultaneous webcast, live online only, timed online-only, sealed bid, and orderly liquidation — augmented by appraisal services, real estate auctions, private negotiated sales, and cash purchase transactions. The technology stack centers on integrations with Bidspotter.com and Proxibid.com for online bidding and PCI-compliant registration, plus a Wix-hosted marketing site with active social channels (YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook) and an ongoing blog. Revenue is transaction-based: an 18% buyer's premium on industrial auction purchases, a 7-10% buyer's premium on real estate sales, traditional auction commissions, and minimum-guarantee or cash-purchase structures in which PMI assumes sale risk. The firm also derives ancillary revenue from its AuctionLea$e equipment financing partnership and built up a proprietary historical sales database that underpins appraisal and valuation work.

Name

PMI

Legal name

Plant & Machinery, Inc.

Website

https://pmi-auction.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Plant & Machinery, Inc. (PMI) is a Houston-based industrial auction and liquidation firm founded in 1984 that conducts live, online, timed, and sealed-bid auctions of machinery, equipment, and real estate for Fortune 200 corporations, banks, and U.S. Bankruptcy Trustees across 42 U.S. states and seven countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Auction Commission: Traditional commission-based arrangement where PMI charges a commission and deducts sale expenses from auction settlement. Seller retains proceeds after commission deduction.
2. Minimum Guarantee Model: Shared-risk format where PMI guarantees a minimum amount to seller, then splits proceeds exceeding the guarantee after deducting agreed sale expenses.
3. Cash Purchase: PMI purchases complete or partial industrial facilities outright, assumes all sale risks, pays negotiated amount at closing, then prepares and conducts sale for own account.
4. Buyer's Premium: 18% buyer's premium added to winning bids for each item sold. Fee covers auction house sale costs.
5. Real Estate Auction Premium: Buyer's premium of 7-10% charged on real estate auction sales. No additional expenses or commissions charged to owner.
6. Private Negotiated Sale: PMI acts as agent between buyer and seller, arranging preview, inspection, and post-sale dismantling. Fee structure negotiated per engagement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

PMI is an industrial auction and liquidation company that conducts public auctions, orderly liquidations, and sealed bid sales of industrial machinery, equipment, and real estate. The firm offers multiple auction formats (live on-site/webcast, live online only, timed online, sealed bid, and orderly liquidation) along with appraisal services, private negotiated sales, cash purchase options, and partner-provided equipment lease financing.

Product overview

Plant & Machinery, Inc. (PMI) operates as an industrial auction and liquidation company offering multiple auction formats and complementary services. The core portfolio includes five distinct auction types: Live On-Location & Webcast Auctions (simultaneous in-person and online bidding), Live Online Only Auctions (preview on-site with electronic bidding), Timed Online-Only Auctions (scheduled closing with no reserves), Sealed Bid Auctions (confidential single-bid format), and Orderly Liquidation (extended period sales with seller approval). Supporting services include Appraisal Services for machinery valuation, Real Estate Auction Services, Private Negotiated Sales, and Cash Purchase options. PMI also offers AuctionLea$e, a partner equipment leasing financing program enabling buyers to finance purchases from $2,500 to $1 million. All auction services utilize Bidspotter and Proxibid online bidding platforms for electronic registration and real-time webcast participation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Live On-Location & Webcast Auctions Auctions conducted simultaneously on-location and online where buyers can physically preview assets at the site while participating in real-time bidding via webcast alongside in-person bidders. Designed for industrial sellers seeking maximum exposure across in-person and remote buyer bases.
• Live Online Only Auctions Online auctions where buyers preview assets on-site but all bidding registrations are conducted electronically via webcast platforms without onsite bidding. Designed for sellers wanting online-only execution with physical inspection access.
• Timed Online-Only Auctions Online auctions where sellers' items are listed in the sales catalog and bidders compete in real time until the sale closes at a specified date and time, with all lots sold without reserves.
• Sealed Bid Auctions Sale format where bidders submit confidential bids and each bidder is given only one opportunity to bid, with the seller able to accept or reject offers.
• Orderly Liquidation Equipment marketing and sale service where PMI sells assets over a specified period while the client retains the ability to accept or reject any offer.
• Private Negotiated Sale Managed sale where a PMI account executive acts as agent between buyer and seller for privately negotiated transactions, either with or without time-specific deadlines. Includes preview, inspection, and post-sale dismantling coordination.
• Appraisal Services Professional valuation services for industrial machinery and equipment including Fair Market Value, Market Value, Orderly Liquidation Value, Forced Liquidation Value, and New Replacement Cost Value assessments. Performed by PMI's appraisal team with over 100 years of combined real-world industrial sales experience.
• Real Estate Auction Services Auction marketing of real estate properties, either subject to owner's confirmation or absolute, with PMI acting as licensed state auctioneer/broker. Carries a 7-10% buyer's premium with no additional expenses or commissions charged to owner.
• Cash Purchase PMI evaluates assets upfront and pays a negotiated amount at closing, assuming all risks of the sale while preparing and conducting the sale for their own account. Available for complete or partial industrial facilities.
• AuctionLea$e Equipment lease financing program providing $2,500 to $1 million for machinery and equipment purchases at PMI auctions, liquidations, and private treaty sales. Offered through partner leasing companies.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $2.7 million gross proceeds generated vs. $1 million appraised value for Drillco assets
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bidspotter.comcoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline bidding platform integration allowing remote bidders to register and participate in PMI auctions in real-time through secure, PCI compliant registration process.
• Proxibid.comcoreTechnology or IntegrationAlternative online auction bidding platform providing PCI compliant registration and secure bidding capabilities for PMI auction events.
• Trio CapitalminorOthersEquipment leasing partner offering financing options for buyers purchasing machinery and equipment at PMI auctions. Contact: Kevin Gallagher, Senior Business Development Manager.
• Ascentium CapitalminorOthersEquipment leasing partner providing financing solutions for machinery and equipment purchases. Contact: Benny Tarwater.
• Innovative Lease ServicesminorOthersEquipment leasing services for M&E purchases at PMI auction and liquidation sales. Contact: Scott Killen, Senior Account Manager.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Tauber-Arons: Los Angeles-based industrial auction and liquidation company focused on machinery, equipment, and real estate. Similar target customer base of manufacturers and trustees, with comparable on-site and online auction formats.
• Maynards International: Industrial auction and appraisal firm with offices across North America and Europe conducting plant and equipment liquidations. Closely comparable to PMI in offering mix (auctions, sealed bids, orderly liquidation, appraisals) and target industrials.
• Cincinnati Industrial Auctioneers: Industrial machinery and equipment auctioneer serving manufacturers across the U.S. midwest. Comparable service portfolio including live and online auctions, appraisals, and orderly liquidation services.
• Liquidity Services: Publicly traded operator of online auction marketplaces (GovDeals, Liquidation.com, GovDeals, Network International) for surplus industrial and commercial assets. Directly comparable as an industrial-asset auctioneer serving enterprises and financial institutions with multi-format online and live events.
• GoIndustry DoveBid: Global online marketplace for used industrial equipment and machinery auctions, with on-site and webcast sale capabilities. Overlaps directly with PMI's industrial machinery auction offering and international buyer reach.
• Heritage Global Partners: Industrial asset auction and valuation firm specializing in plant liquidations, machinery auctions, and surplus asset disposition. Comparable in service mix (live/online auctions, appraisals, private treaty) and target customer base of Fortune 500 industrials and bankruptcy trustees.
• Barliant Auctions: U.S. industrial auction house specializing in food processing, packaging, and material handling equipment. Overlaps with PMI's food/chemical processing and material handling vertical focus and live/online format mix.
• Aaron's Industrial Auctioneers: Houston-area industrial auction firm specializing in oil & gas, construction, and heavy equipment liquidations. Direct geographic and vertical competitor to PMI in the Texas industrial market.

Regional players

• Surplex: European-headquartered online auction house for used machinery and industrial equipment. Comparable in online machinery auction format, but operates primarily across Europe rather than the U.S. market PMI dominates.

Emerging players

• EquipNet: Online marketplace and auction platform for surplus industrial equipment with managed disposition services. Comparable in online auction format but lighter on on-site turnkey liquidations than PMI.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC7xFNrFCswSi05-tJ14ApEQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/PMIAuctions
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/plant-&-machinery-inc-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PMI