NEWS

Despite launching his international equipment trading entity just eight months ago, Uri Toudjarov’s Uriquip is already a multi-million-dollar success, thanks to a reassuring combination of Uri’s enviable reputation and the advanced technology of his Krank-powered online sales platform.Pictured left to right: Michael Toudjarov, Jenny Lee & Uri Toudjarov.As startup performances go, construction industry veteran Uri Toudjarov’s new equipment trading company Uriquip has had a blazing start. Just eight short months since launching the company in January 2024, the ex-head of international sales at Terex and crane dealer BIGGE has made landmark multimillion-dollar deals. Included among these are Chinese-sourced reconditioned 650 crawler crane and two 500 ton all terrain crane sales, both to customers in Latin America, as well as new 550 t AT for a customer in Africa Uriquip’s current crane offering of over 200 cranes, includes a used 2016 LR1600 Liebherr, an all-new 2024 Bullit and a complete line of other units, from 40-130 tons, including several RT1100 rough terrain cranes, all from its in stock in Houston, Texas. Advanced trading platform While much of the success of Uri’s eponymous company goes down to his legendary experience and industry network, credit too needs to go to the state-of-the-art trading platform that underpins his company website and marketing activity. Krank is an enterprise-grade SaaS platform that provides a new way to remarket used equipment, helping customers sell faster, improve revenues and scale both brands and businesses. “Our Krank-powered technology is not only slick, efficient, and very user friendly – it also creates a high level of business respectability that is reassuring buyers of what is, in effect, a start-up company,” Uri commented. On Uriquip’s Krank developed online front-and-back end trading site, buyers can scan through the portfolio of high-quality equipment on offer, examine specifications, peruse high quality imagery, and interrogate the condition reports and specifications. They can also request more information and contact Uri’s team.   “Creating a one-stop-shop website is allowing us to make people feel comfortable making large purchases and accessing all the information they need,” said Michael Toudjarov, Uriquip’s head of marketing. Platform tailored to Uriquip’s needsKyle Jackson, Krank’s global customer success team lead, revealed: "Partnering with Uri to create the Uriquip platform has been an incredibly rewarding experience for Krank. From the initial design to the current implementation, we have made sure to tailor the system to meet Uriquip's unique needs. While useful for Uriquip – this learning is also helping us create a template and a robust model for us developing solutions for future clients. Seeing Uriquip’s early success is reinforcing our commitment to innovative solutions that drive business forward. It’s a testament to how technology and client partnership can redefine industry standards.” You can access the Uriquip platform powered by Krank here: www.uriquip.com 

Global engineering, procurement and construction giant Bechtel chooses Latin American equipment remarketing experts Elebbre to manage major auction of its equipment from mega mines’ expansion and desalination plant construction – all underpinned by the latest auction technology from Krank.“The expansion of the world’s largest copper mine in northern Chile has prompted a renewal of a proportion of the mobile fleet based there, resulting in a surplus of used construction equipment for the mines’ expansion operators. The task of managing the sale of equipment such as dump trucks, boom trucks and cranes for one of the world’s top five construction companies – Bechtel – has fallen to Latin American equipment experts Elebbre. Access to high intent buyersThe sale of the machines is to be by auction with Elebbre adopting the latest online marketplace platform from UK SaaS provider Krank. Using the Krank platform means that Elebbre can manage the entire auction and sale process itself, rather than having to rely on the support of third-party auction houses. The platform connects construction industry peers by providing an innovative solution for building networks and connections, via which new and used equipment can be remarketed. Its platform is being used by major equipment OEMs, rental companies and others with equipment fleets, and gives users access to a network of high-intent buyers, which helps to convert into sales faster, with reduced costs and improved revenues.“The Krank platform has been customized to our needs and provides a seamless trading experience for ourselves as sellers, and for our buyers. It will be a key component in achieving favorable market prices for these assets, maximizing transparency in the negotiation process and accurately valuing assets, via certified inspection methodologies and reporting,” says Elebbre’s Co-Founder and General Manager, Moisés Nunez.“Elebbre has a strong reputation for using the most innovative thinking for the commercialization of equipment in Latin America; combining technology with extensive experience in the mining, agriculture and transport sectors,” says Krank founder and CEO Mark Turner. “It’s therefore no surprise that such a globally respected mining support giant such as Bechtel has entrusted the sale of its equipment to Elebbre. Adding in our platform to this mix allows Elebbre to independently trade heavy equipment under its own brand, run its own timed and live video auctions and facilitate greater customer engagement.”

Tasked with managing the operational growth of the rapidly expanding SaaS heavy equipment trading platform, Metcalfe will build on his extensive business, technology and start up experience to execute on Krank’s vision of transforming the inner workings for one of the largest global industries. As COO at Krank, Metcalfe will lead and scale business operations and go-to-market activities to deliver on Krank’s exciting business roadmap and expansion plans.Metcalfe began his career in institutional sales at Legal & General Investment Management. This was followed by strategy, business growth and operations roles at various B2B technology and startup companies, most recently rising to a COO role at the fintech start-up Cobalt. At his time at Cobalt, Metcalfe was pivotal in raising major institutional investment and signing global clients, including Citi and Deutsche Bank. He joins Krank following the company’s transformative deals with US rental giant Maxim Crane and technology company Liebherr, where the unique Krank platform will underpin a large proportion of the companies’ used equipment disposals. Giles Metcalfe, Chief Operating Officer at Krank.“I’m thrilled to be joining Krank at such a formative and fast-moving time for Krank’s unique business model,” Metcalfe said of his appointment. CEO and founder of Krank Mark Turner meanwhile, says: “Giles is a very welcome addition to the team – with his experience in growing technology businesses, I am confident he will make a very strong contribution in driving Krank’s rapid expansion.”From upstart to start upMetcalfe’s career to date has been marked by his entrepreneurial spirit and lateral thinking - having ran and sold a business by the age of 18 and receiving national newspaper coverage during the financial crisis for his innovative approach to securing his first job in London’s financial district. (Metcalfe stood with a banner and handed out CVs in Broadgate Circle, London – resulting in over 25 interviews in the following weeks.) 

The consultancy-for-equity investment expands Krank’s online B2B equipment trading and networking software platform outside its construction base to the wider automobility industry.Enterprise software-as-a-service solution Krank has announced that automobility management consultancy Berylls has taken a stake in the online B2B trading and networking software provider to accelerate its development.Berylls now owns a stake in the U.K.-based technology platform in exchange for significant support in building Krank's business and organization.The ultimate insidersGerman headquartered Berylls is the go-to consultancy in the auto and mobility industry, helping major car and truck brands, as well as distributors, lease companies and automobility investors with strategy, performance, and change. Berylls’ UK managing director Arthur Kipferler helped broker the investment and is now an executive director of Krank. Speaking about the strategic partnership with Krank he said:“The core of the Krank Enterprise concept is to offer customers their own branded marketplace, with Krank’s technology supporting transactions in the background. Krank’s unique technology and business model is truly disruptive in the vehicle trading industry. Not only can it enable remarketing transactions at much lower cost than incumbents, but it also gives sellers more data, and buyers more confidence.“Krank has the ideal combination of clever technology meeting a real market need,” Kipferler continued. “Add in Berylls’ considerable resources and business-building skills and you get a powerful combination. We will also provide support to expand Krank’s organizational structure and commercial offering."The potential to change an industryCommenting on the strategic tie up Mark Turner, founder and CEO of Krank said: “Berylls is the ideal partner for Krank. Not only does it have the resources to quickly expand our team, it is also helping fine tune the commercial aspects of our offering. Having Berylls as a partner gives Krank an exciting long-term horizon, one where together we build a business that will have a positive impact on the industry.”Arthur Kipferler, Berylls’ UK managing director,and Executive Director, Krank