Waitz and Richter

What Waitz and Richter does

Waitz & Richter GmbH is a Leipzig-based, privately held German industrial asset liquidation and appraisal firm founded in 1994. The company provides professional valuations and expert reports (Wertgutachten) for industrial assets, ranging from basic inventory assessments to detailed continuation and liquidation valuations. Its core revenue-generating activity is the operation of a proprietary online auction platform (auktion.waitz-richter.com) where registered users bid on industrial machinery, vehicles, construction equipment, and business assets sourced from corporate clients undergoing restructuring, insolvency, or surplus-equipment disposal. The firm additionally conducts direct asset sales with worldwide purchaser search and full logistics/dismantling support, and offers company rehabilitation advisory for distressed businesses with positive continuation prospects. Pricing is transactional: buyers pay an 18% auctioneer's fee on top of the hammer price plus statutory VAT, while corporate clients pay for valuation and consignment services on a quote basis.

The business is run as a GmbH under Managing Director Volker Richter (a sworn and authorised auctioneer for plant and machinery) with Hans Christian Engelhardt as authorised signatory, plus a small project management and accounting team consistent with the disclosed 11–50 employee range. Waitz & Richter holds DIN EN ISO 9001 certification from TÜV, a credential relevant for institutional and court-mandated engagements, and maintains GDPR-compliant data practices. Marketing is driven primarily through the auction platform's organic search visibility and a registered-user newsletter/fax channel, with the firm positioning itself as a 'leading specialist in industrial sales since 1994' across German-speaking markets while operating an English-language interface to access international buyers.

The customer base is entirely B2B, spanning industrial and manufacturing firms disposing of surplus equipment, companies in restructuring or insolvency requiring asset liquidation, and commercial vehicle fleet operators. The go-to-market is event-driven: each consignment generates a timed online auction, supplemented by ongoing direct-sale and valuation mandates. No external investors, subsidiaries, patents, or AI/technology capabilities beyond the auction website are disclosed in the available source material, and the firm operates exclusively within Germany as a registered domicile.

Name

Waitz and Richter

Legal name

Waitz & Richter GmbH

Website

https://waitz-richter.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Waitz & Richter GmbH is a Leipzig-based German firm providing industrial asset valuations, online auctions of machinery and vehicles, direct asset sales, and restructuring advisory to industrial companies, insolvency administrators, and fleet operators since 1994.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Asset Liquidation & Auction Services

NAICS

Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers (425120), Motor Vehicle Parts (Used) Merchant Wholesalers (42314)

SIC

Misc Industrial & Commercial Machinery & Equipment (3590), Wholesale-Motor Vehicles & Motor Vehicle Parts & Supplies (5010)

akta.pro primary industry

B2B Liquidation Auctions & Asset Disposition Retail (CRAEAFAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Business Interruption & Insurance Claim Valuation (FSAEAHAM)

Keywords

• Industrial asset auctions
• Machinery liquidation
• Asset valuation services
• Company restructuring support
• Online auction platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Leipzig

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Auction commissions: Revenue generated through commission fees on auction sales. The company charges an 18% auctioneer's fee plus statutory VAT on the auctioneer's fees on all sold items, as stated in their auction listings. Sellers (clients) pay for valuation and auction services while buyers pay the hammer price plus fees.
2. Valuation and appraisal services: Reliable expert reports and valuations for industrial assets, ranging from basic inventory assessments to detailed reports with continuation and liquidation valuations, balance sheet grading, third-party rights clarification, and storage stock valuation.
3. Direct asset sales: Individual sale plans for machinery and equipment, including document preparation, worldwide purchaser search, dismantling, and logistical support. Both auction and private treaty sales are conducted.
4. Restructuring support services: Specialized services for company takeovers and rehabilitation, including company profile preparation, marketing strategy development, creditworthiness assessment of interested parties, and negotiation support through to completion.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Waitz & Richter GmbH provides industrial asset liquidation and appraisal services for companies in Germany. Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Leipzig, the company operates online auctions of industrial machinery, vehicles, and equipment on behalf of corporate clients, complemented by professional asset valuation reports, direct sales of premium machinery, and restructuring support for distressed companies.

Product overview

Waitz & Richter GmbH is a German industrial asset liquidation and appraisal company operating since 1994. The company offers a portfolio of services centered around asset valorization: asset valuation reports (Wertgutachten) as the foundational service, online auctions (Online-Auktionen) as the primary sales channel through their auction platform, direct sales for premium machinery and equipment, and company rehabilitation support for businesses in crisis. The online auction platform (auktion.waitz-richter.com) serves as the core technology enabling customers to browse listings, register as users, and participate in competitive bidding across categories including machine tools, vehicles, construction equipment, and business assets. The company also provides supporting services including inventory assessments, worldwide purchaser searches, and reorganization consulting.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Asset Valuation Services (Wertgutachten)

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Per Petersen Auktionen: Per Petersen is another long-established German industrial auction house focused on machinery, plant, and fleet sales. It competes with Waitz & Richter for distressed- and surplus-asset mandates in the German market.
• Troostwijk: Troostwijk is one of Europe's largest industrial auctioneers conducting online auctions of machinery, vehicles, and business assets. It overlaps directly with Waitz & Richter's industrial asset disposition offering across continental Europe.
• KWS Industrial Service: KWS Industrial Service is a German specialist in dismantling, remarketing, and auctioning of industrial machinery and plant. It offers similar turnkey disposal services to Waitz & Richter, particularly in insolvencies and factory closures.
• Surplex: Surplex is a German-headquartered online auction house specializing in used machinery, industrial equipment, and plant sales across Europe. It is the closest direct competitor to Waitz & Richter's online auction model for industrial asset liquidation.
• NetBid Industry Auctions: NetBid operates online industrial auctions for used machinery and complete plant sales in Germany and Europe. It directly parallels Waitz & Richter's core online auction and asset disposition model.

Broad incumbents

• Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers: Ritchie Bros. is the world's largest industrial auctioneer for heavy equipment, trucks, and agricultural machinery. While it focuses more on construction and transportation equipment, it overlaps with Waitz & Richter's commercial vehicle and equipment disposal activity.
• Hilco Global: Hilco is a global industrial valuation, asset disposition, and advisory firm running online and live auctions of machinery, inventories, and real estate. It competes in the same industrial asset disposition space as Waitz & Richter but at significantly greater scale and geographic breadth.
• GoIndustry (Liquidity Services): GoIndustry, part of Liquidity Services, runs global online marketplaces for used industrial assets, capital equipment, and surplus inventory. It serves a similar buyer-seller base to Waitz & Richter's online auction platform but operates at much larger international scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/waitzrichter

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Waitz and Richter