Auction_floor_crop
Lyonel Doherty photo
Hundreds of people filled the General Coach plant on January 27 for the deal of the century. A big auction was held to sell off the company’s assets in Oliver. Nearly 550 people registered to bid on countless items ranging from high-definition TVs to welding equipment. Although many bidders expressed regret about the company’s closure, every item on the auction block was sold.
General Coach auction a bittersweet event
Lyonel Doherty
Oliver Chronicle
Hundreds of auction-goers filled the old General Coach plant last week for the deal of the century. But it was a bittersweet event to some.
“I’m a little saddened by it. I knew a lot of people who worked here . . . a lot of my friends worked here. It’s going to be a big blow to the community,” said Brad Fossett from Oliver.
The RV manufacturing facility announced in October that it was closing its doors in Oliver and consolidating operations at its Ontario facility. That meant approximately 86 people were out of work.
Fossett, from South Valley Sales, attended the auction looking to buy equipment such as forklifts. He was curious to see what items General Coach had and what they were selling for. Items included new LCD televisions, bathroom fixtures, chairs, rugs, lift trucks, welding equipment and plywood.
Murray Jarvis from Jarvis Auctions was one of the auctioneers who was kept hopping the whole day on January 27.
He noted that approximately 545 people had registered to bid. “Buyers seemed happy with their purchases and prices were fair . . . some things sold higher than expected, some lower.”
Jarvis wouldn’t say how much revenue General Coach made from the auction, but every item sold.
“There was a great deal of sympathy expressed for long-term employees losing their jobs,” he pointed out.
Fossett said he wasn’t surprised when he heard the Oliver plant was closing.
“It’s not good. It’s not healthy. There can’t be just wine and retired people here.
Fossett noted that General Coach was a good employer for many years.
Mike Kriesel from Oliver said the closure was a shame, especially the job losses. “A lot of guys have been here since Grade 10 and it has been tough to find other jobs.”
Kriesel was at the auction with his family, hoping to bid on one of the TVs and a bunk bed.
Linda Venables from Oliver was also looking for a deal, but she too found the experience bittersweet. Her father worked at General Coach for years, and for Linda it was sad to see the plant’s assets sold off. She noted the loss of employment has taken a huge chunk out of Oliver’s economy.
Russell Davies came all the way from Vancouver Island to check out the deals. He was looking for building materials for a friend who’s building a house.
“It’s a shame,” he said of the closure. “The problem is there are so many trailers and motorhomes sitting on lots and not moving. So I understand the consolidation. The writing was on the wall.”
Davies said buying a house in Arizona is cheaper than buying a motorhome these days.
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