What PPL Group does

PPL Group LLC is a privately held Northbrook, Illinois-based provider of liquidity solutions for equipment-intensive businesses with distress or surplus assets. Founded in 2003 by David Muslin as Perfection Plant Liquidators (rebranded PPL Group in 2007 after separating from Perfection Machinery), the firm operates four integrated business units: Asset Disposition, Financing (asset-based lending of $1-20 million), Equity Investments (via sister company Big Shoulders Capital), and Enhanced Recovery. Asset disposition is the original business and is delivered through both live webcast auctions (with simultaneous bidding across up to three platforms) and timed online auctions hosted on Bidspotter.com, supported by a multi-channel marketing apparatus spanning LinkedIn, Google, Facebook, direct mail, custom e-blasts, and trade publications.

The firm monetizes assets through a 15% buyer's premium on onsite sales and 18% on online sales, charges interest on asset-based loans, takes equity positions in distressed middle-market manufacturers (primarily metals and plastics) through Big Shoulders Capital, and earns fees on its Enhanced Recovery service that monetizes unbilled work, accounts receivable, inventory, and intangible assets such as contracts, customers, and IP that conventional liquidators cannot access. Customers range from individual owners to Fortune 50 enterprises across 100+ industries, with named engagements for PPG, Duracell, Whirlpool, BAE Systems, Sanofi, Daimler, McDermott, and ATI, alongside referral relationships with Wintrust, Fifth Third, Regions, CIBC, and restructuring advisors. Over 20 years PPL claims $750M+ in assets sold across thousands of transactions.

Name

PPL Group

Legal name

PPL Group LLC

Website

https://pplgroupllc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

PPL Group is a privately held Northbrook, Illinois-based liquidity solutions provider, monetizing distressed and surplus industrial assets through auctions, asset-based lending ($1-20M), equity investments, and enhanced recovery services for manufacturers, bankruptcy trustees, and Fortune 50 corporations across 100+ industries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Northbrook

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Auction Services (Buyer's Premium): PPL earns a buyer's premium on all auction sales, typically 15% for onsite buyers and 18% for online buyers, applied to the winning bid price. This is the primary revenue driver for their auction business.
2. Asset-Based Lending: PPL provides $1-20 million asset-based loans including bridge loans, note purchases, DIP loans, machinery & equipment term loans, acquisition financing, and working capital loans. Revenue generated through interest income on loans.
3. Equity Investments: PPL Group (via sister company Big Shoulders Capital) takes equity positions in distressed middle-market manufacturing companies. Revenue generated through equity appreciation and exits from portfolio companies.
4. Enhanced Recovery Services: Monetization of assets that traditional liquidators cannot access including unbilled work, accounts receivable, inventory, and intangible assets like contracts, customers, and IP. Revenue through fees from superior value recovery.
5. Appraisal Services: ASA certified appraisers provide valuations including full formal appraisals, desktop appraisals, and informal opinions of value for business owners, banks, equipment leasing companies, and advisors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

PPL Group provides liquidity solutions for equipment-intensive businesses holding distress or surplus assets. Core offerings include asset disposition (purchasing and selling commercial/industrial assets, real estate, and entire facilities), asset-based financing ($1-20 million), equity investments in distressed middle-market manufacturing companies (via sister company Big Shoulders Capital), Enhanced Recovery of unbilled work, accounts receivable, inventory, and intangible assets, ASA-certified appraisals, live webcast and timed online auction services, and real estate disposition.

Product overview

PPL Group is a liquidity solutions provider for equipment-intensive businesses with distress or surplus assets. The company operates four integrated business units: Asset Disposition (purchasing and selling commercial/industrial assets and entire facilities), Financing (asset-based lending from $1-20 million), Equity Investments (private equity in middle-market manufacturing companies through sister company Big Shoulders Capital), and Enhanced Recovery (monetizing unbilled work, AR, inventory, and intangible assets). Additional services include Auction Services (live webcast and timed online auctions), Appraisals (ASA certified valuations), and Real Estate disposition. The company has sold over $750 million in assets across 100+ industries since 2003.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Asset Disposition Purchasing and selling commercial and industrial assets, real estate, and entire facilities from individual owners up to Fortune 50 companies. PPL Group's auction arm manages complete plant liquidations and auctions across the United States, Canada, Mexico, and abroad.
• Financing
• Equity Investments
• Enhanced Recovery
• Auction Services
• Appraisals
• Real Estate

Quantifiable outcome

• $750M+ in assets sold over 10 years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers19 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

Feature3 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Heritage Global Partners: Heritage Global Partners conducts industrial auctions and valuations for distressed and surplus assets, closely matching PPL's auction services and ASA-certified appraisal offerings. Similar customer base spanning Fortune 500 corporates, trustees, and lenders.
• Gordon Brothers: Gordon Brothers provides asset valuation, disposition, lending, and equity-style investments in distressed and consumer-facing businesses, overlapping directly with PPL's auction, appraisal, financing, and Big Shoulders equity business lines. Comparable customer base (banks, trustees, advisors) and similar hybrid fee-plus-equity model.
• Hilco Global: Hilco Global is one of the largest independent industrial asset disposition, valuation, and liquidation firms, offering services closely paralleling PPL's auctions, appraisals, and enhanced recovery. Both serve distressed manufacturers, banks, and trustees with similar disposition solutions, though Hilco operates at significantly greater scale and with institutional capital.
• Maynards Industries: Maynards is a global industrial auctioneer specializing in complete plant liquidations, machinery, and equipment sales—directly overlapping with PPL's asset disposition and auction services for industrial clients. Comparable buyer network and auction mechanics.
• Joseph Finn Co. Joseph Finn Co. is an industrial auction, appraisal, and asset disposition firm serving bankruptcy, secured creditors, and private clients with similar scope to PPL. Comparable focus on complete plant liquidations and surplus equipment sales.
• Liquidity Services: Liquidity Services (NASDAQ: LQDT) operates online marketplaces and auction platforms for surplus and returned assets, including heavy industrial equipment—directly paralleling PPL's online auction arm. As a public competitor, it provides a market-data benchmark for the asset disposition business model.
• Tiger Group: Tiger Group is an asset disposition, appraisal, and financing firm serving distressed and surplus-asset situations across industrial, retail, and consumer sectors. Directly comparable service menu to PPL including auctions, lending, and valuations, with a similar middle-market focus.
• Rabin Worldwide: Rabin Worldwide is an industrial auction and asset disposition firm serving bankruptcy trustees, secured lenders, and corporate clients—paralleling PPL's relationship-driven distressed-asset auction business. Both emphasize large, multi-location industrial liquidations.

Broad incumbents

• B. Riley Financial: B. Riley Financial operates a diversified financial services platform that includes asset disposition, advisory, and lending businesses that intersect with PPL's auction and financing offerings. A larger, publicly traded incumbent with overlapping capabilities but a broader service portfolio.

Emerging players

• Bid4Assets: Bid4Assets is an online auction platform specializing in government and financial-institution asset sales, including distressed real estate and equipment. Less direct overlap than the industrial auctioneers above, but comparable auction-platform mechanics and partial customer-base intersection.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/pplgroupllc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ppl-group-llc
• Xx.com/pplgroup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries9 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 PPL Group