Purple Wave, Inc., a flourishing live and online auction business, is pleased to announce it has joined forces with McBride Auctioneers of Derby, Kansas. Effective January 2008 McBride Auction will be conducting business under the new name of Purple Wave – McBride Auction. Purple Wave, Inc. is headquartered in Manhattan, Kansas. Purple Wave - McBride will continue to operate office and auction house in Derby, Kansas., with significant presence in the Wichita, Kansas, market.

The alliance brings together two auction industry leaders. Aaron McKee, founder and owner of Purple Wave, Inc., has received the prestigious CAI (Certified Auctioneers Institute), AARE (Accredited Auctioneer of Real Estate) and E-PRO designations. Aaron is currently serving on the board of directors for the Kansas Auctioneers Association and the technology committee for the National Auctioneers Association. Bob McBride is 2007 President-elect of the Kansas Auctioneers Association and the 2003 Kansas Auctioneers Association Bid Calling Champion. He is a board member of Purple Wave, Inc.

“The alliance between Purple Wave and McBride Auction is a win for both companies. McBride will bring its loyal local customer base and strong presence is a large population center to Purple Wave’s industry-leading click-and-mortar auction system, which focuses on true asset liquidation across the country. Purple Wave has enjoyed tremendous growth in recent years and intends to accelerate that growth even more in 2008. The addition of McBride Auctioneers to the Purple Wave Auction family helps carry out that intention. Purple Wave is excited to partner with a respected, high-integrity firm like McBride,” said Jerrod Westfahl, President of Purple Wave, Inc.

Purple Wave was established in 2000 as a full service auction firm. It has successfully combined Internet bidding and Internet-only auctions with localized marketing and traditional live auctions. Purple Wave, Inc. enjoys an active registered Internet bidder community of over 18,000 bidders and more than 3 million bidding pages opened on its www.purplewave.com per month.

With Internet auctions being a relatively new business, many auction business owners are looking to Purple Wave for direction. “Peers look to them for insight as to how to operate their business,” said Bill Sheridan, president of the National Auctioneers Association.

Purple Wave Inc. has been the official auctioneer for the state of Kansas since 2004 and has exclusive contracts with Kansas State Surplus Property, Kansas Department of Transportation, Kansas Department of Revenue, Kansas Highway Patrol as well as over 50 counties, cities, school districts and colleges including Kansas State University, the University of Kansas and Wichita State University.

Purple Wave was the 2007 recipient of the Kansas Department of Commerce Business Excellence Award in Service. Also, honored as the winner of the “Online Catalogs, Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment” and the “Internet, Online-only Auction” categories in the National Auctioneers Association marketing competition.

McBride Auctioneers is a full-service auction firm serving based in the Wichita metro area. McBride built its reputation on personal and friendly service while upholding the highest level of business honesty and integrity.