What AMS Auctions does

AMS Auctions (legally Asset Management Services (UK) Limited, company number 04152267) is a privately held UK asset management and auction company founded in 1990 and headquartered at a purpose-built auction centre in Gloucester. The firm operates live public auctions at its 6,000 sq ft Gloucester saleroom, online timed auctions, sealed-bid tender sales, negotiated sales, and buy-it-now transactions, with simultaneous online bidding available across formats. It serves a primarily enterprise client base that includes the Official Receiver, high street banks, major financial institutions, HMRC, insolvency practitioners, equipment manufacturers (notably J C Bamford Excavators Ltd), and corporate clients disposing of assets through mergers, restructuring, refinancing, or operational changes.

The company's core technology is its proprietary online bidding platform, which supports live remote bidding, automatic incremental bidding up to user-set maximums, and 5-minute time extensions for last-minute bids. Auction services are complemented by AMTRACKS™, a registered-trademark client portal providing real-time visibility into goods received, listed, scheduled, sold, and collected; expert asset valuations and inventory/asset register creation; UK and European transportation using trusted hauliers; secure warehousing in Gloucestershire, Cardiff, and across the UK; long-term data archiving; and confidential data destruction (paper shredding to Grade 3 and hard drive/media shredding with audit trail and certificated proof).

AMS monetises transactions primarily through a buyer's premium ranging from 0% (JCB sales) to 5% (selected timed auctions) to 20% (standard auctions) of hammer price, with 20% VAT applied where applicable. Secondary revenue streams include fee-based valuations, paid storage (£2.00+VAT per lot per day for unpaid items), transportation, data archiving, data destruction, and referral-based asset finance via partners including Lombard, JCB Finance, and UK Asset Funding Solutions Ltd. The firm sells over £10M of equipment annually to a worldwide buyer audience and has achieved cumulative sales exceeding £25M for JCB alone; it is a member of both NAVA and PACT and operates under NAVA's code of practice with full professional indemnity and public liability cover.

Name

AMS Auctions

Legal name

Asset Management Services (UK) Limited

Website

https://ams.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AMS Auctions is a privately held UK asset management and auction firm founded in 1990 in Gloucester, conducting live, online timed, tender, and negotiated sales of plant, machinery, vehicles, and office equipment, and providing valuations, logistics, and data destruction for banks, insolvency practitioners, and equipment manufacturers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Gloucester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Auction Buyer Premium: AMS charges a buyer's premium calculated as a percentage of the hammer price (winning bid). Rates vary by auction type: 0% for special JCB auctions, 5% for some timed auctions, and typically 20% for standard auctions. VAT is added at 20% on both hammer price and buyer's premium where applicable.
2. Asset Valuations: Expert valuations from highly experienced professionals for mergers, takeovers, MBOs, corporate recovery, insurance assessments, balance sheet revaluations, refinancing, and insolvency. Also includes inventory listing services and asset register creation.
3. Logistics and Ancillary Services: Transportation services for collection of goods, storage and warehousing at secure facilities, data archiving and storage, and confidential data destruction. Storage charges of £2.00 plus VAT per lot per day apply for unpaid items.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

AMS Auctions operates as a UK-based asset management and auction company providing multiple sale formats — live public auctions at its 6,000 sq ft Gloucester saleroom, online timed auctions, sealed-bid tender sales, and negotiated sales — for plant, machinery, vehicles and equipment. It complements auctions with expert asset valuations, inventory listings, AMTRACKS proprietary client asset tracking, and a full suite of logistics services covering transportation, secure storage, data archiving, and confidential data destruction.

Product overview

AMS Auctions operates as a comprehensive asset management and auction platform offering multiple sale formats. The core offering consists of an online bidding platform that supports Live Public Auctions (monthly events at the 6,000 sq ft Gloucester saleroom with online participation), Online Timed Auctions (typically two-week sales with automatic bidding), Sales by Tender (sealed bids for high-value specialist items), Negotiated Sales (direct buyer negotiations), and Buy it Now fixed-price options. Supporting services include AMTRACKS™ for asset tracking, Asset Valuations for corporate and insurance purposes, Inventories for asset listing, Asset Disposals advisory, and logistics services (Transportation, Storage, Data Archiving, and Data Destruction). The company sells over £10M worth of equipment annually across construction plant, machinery, vehicles, and office equipment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AMTRACKS™: A unique Asset Management Tracking System that allows clients to securely login and instantly see the status of each asset. Clients can access their AMS account online to track goods received, goods listed and awaiting sale, auction scheduling, sale values achieved, buyer information, and collection/shipping status.

Products and services

• Live Public Auctions Monthly in-person auction events held at AMS's 6,000 sq ft sales room in Gloucester, with simultaneous online bidding for remote participants. Used to dispose of plant, machinery, vehicles and office equipment on behalf of multiple vendors.
• Online Timed Auctions Timed auction sales run online over a set period (typically two weeks) using AMS's intelligent online bidding software, with automatic incremental bidding and 5-minute extensions on last-minute bids.
• Sales by Tender Sealed-bid sales conducted from AMS warehouse or client premises for high-value specialist plant, machinery, or items with significantly higher value to specific buyers, with no disclosure of bids until auction end.
• Negotiated Sales Direct sale negotiations with potential buyers outside the auction process, including preparation, valuation, marketing, demonstrations, negotiation, collection of funds, and managed decommissioning.
• AMTRACKS Asset Management Tracking System Proprietary trademarked online portal that allows clients to securely log in and view the real-time status of each asset — goods received, goods listed and awaiting sale, auction scheduling, sale values achieved, buyer information, and collection/shipping status.
• Asset Valuations Expert asset valuation services from highly experienced professionals, used for mergers, takeovers, MBOs, corporate recovery, insurance assessments, balance sheet revaluations, refinancing, and insolvency purposes.
• Inventories Full inventory listing service providing accurate, up-to-date asset records and asset registers across industries ranging from food processing to retail.
• Asset Disposals Advisory Expert advisory service recommending the optimal disposal method (public auction, online auction, tender, or private treaty) to achieve the best hammer prices for a client's assets.
• Transportation Services Comprehensive UK and European transportation using trusted hauliers, offering small Luton vans up to 7.5 tonnes, flat-bed lorries, cranes, and abnormal wide-load transport for collection and delivery of assets.
• Storage & Warehousing Secure warehouse facilities in Gloucestershire, Cardiff, and across the UK, equipped with alarm systems, fire detection, and optional manned guarding and 24/7 CCTV.
• Data Archiving & Storage Long-term archiving for electronic or paper records in secure, controlled environments compliant with disaster recovery plans.
• Confidential Data Destruction Secure destruction services including paper shredding to Grade 3 and hard drive/media shredding, with a complete audit trail and certificated proof of destruction.

Quantifiable outcome

• Annual sales of over £10M worth of equipment
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• J C Bamford Excavators LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAMS runs regular live and online auctions for JCB worldwide at the JCB World Headquarters in Rocester, Staffordshire. They match buyers worldwide with surplus, experimental and ex-demonstration machines and spares. To date, sales in excess of £25 million have been achieved on behalf of JCB.
• NAVA (National Association of Valuers and Auctioneers)coreOthersAMS is a member of NAVA and valuations are carried out in accordance with the strict code of practice stipulated by NAVA membership. Company has separate client bank account for receivable monies and is fully insured for professional indemnity and public liability.
• UK Asset Funding Solutions LtdminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndependent asset finance broker providing business funding facilities. Available solely for asset finance enquiries related to auctions and purchases. Contact: Keith Knight.
• LombardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLombard is a major financial partner referenced in finance services for auction buyers. Lombard and AMS work together to provide financing options for equipment purchases.
• JCB FinanceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerJCB Finance provides financing options for JCB equipment purchases at AMS auctions. Listed alongside Lombard as finance service provider.
• JCB InsuranceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerJCB Insurance provides insurance options for JCB equipment purchased at AMS auctions.
• PACT (Professional Association of Auctioneers and Valuers)coreOthersAMS is a member of PACT, demonstrating professional standards and credibility in the auction and valuation industry.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Euro Auctions: Euro Auctions is one of the largest UK-headquartered auctioneers of construction plant, agricultural machinery, and commercial vehicles. It directly competes with AMS in the plant and machinery auction category and runs its own on-site auctions across the UK and Europe, making it the closest functional peer.
• Cheffins: Cheffins is a long-established UK auctioneer running regular on-site and online plant and machinery auctions. It competes head-to-head with AMS in the Cambridge/Cambridgeshire region and offers similar live and timed online sales of construction equipment and vehicles.
• John Pye Auctions: John Pye Auctions is a UK auction house running online timed auctions across commercial assets, plant and machinery, and insolvency stock. It competes with AMS for both buyer attention and seller mandates in the UK industrial asset disposal market.
• BPI Auctions (Buckingham Plant & Installations): BPI Auctions is a UK-based auctioneer of plant, machinery, vehicles, and industrial assets. It overlaps directly with AMS on equipment categories, online timed auction formats, and UK-wide buyer reach.
• Walker Singleton: Walker Singleton is a Yorkshire-based professional services firm with an active plant and machinery / commercial asset auction capability. It is a direct regional peer to AMS for UK industrial asset disposals.
• CJM Asset Management: CJM Asset Management is a UK firm specialising in asset valuations, disposals, and auctions for insolvency practitioners, banks, and corporates. It overlaps closely with AMS on the valuation-plus-disposal workflow for distressed and surplus assets.

Broad incumbents

• Eddisons: Eddisons is a larger UK commercial property and asset advisory firm that includes an auction division for plant, machinery, and insolvency assets. It competes with AMS for institutional and insolvency mandates but operates as a broader advisory business.
• Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers: Ritchie Bros. is a global incumbent auctioneer of heavy equipment, trucks, and agricultural machinery with a strong UK presence. It competes with AMS in plant and machinery auctions but at significantly larger scale and with a global, brand-led platform.

Regional players

• Potteries Auctions: Potteries Auctions is a regional UK auction house running plant, machinery, and commercial asset sales primarily in the Midlands. It is a partial regional peer to AMS in the UK industrial asset auction market.

Others

• NAVA (National Association of Valuers and Auctioneers): NAVA is the UK industry association of valuers and auctioneers of which AMS is a member. It is not a competitor but a relevant industry body and standards-setter that defines the professional framework in which AMS operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/amsauctionsuk
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/amsauctionscouk
• Facebookfacebook.com/amsauctions
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/amsauctions

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 AMS Auctions