Online auction specialist set to create 70 jobs

Online auction house network John Pye Auctions says it will create 70 jobs at its Chesterfield site after a successful first year.

Since opening in March last year, the site has seen 1,500 visitors through its doors each week and held 215 online auctions, which equates to approximately 380,000 lots sold. The most memorable lots from the year include hot tubs, specialist eye equipment, machinery, and collectables including Hornby train sets.

The firm welcomed more than 700 guests to its Chesterfield venue to celebrate the milestone.

Lou Rodrigues, Chesterfield site manager for John Pye, said: “Having more than 700 customers join us to celebrate our first anniversary was the ideal way to mark what has been a fantastic year.

“We have a dedicated team of 80, predominantly from the local area, and we are aiming to expand our capacity in the coming months to make full use of the 230,000 sq ft we have here on site. This will allow us to create 70 new jobs for the local area and grow our team to 150.”

The Chesterfield site is the 17th location in the John Pye auctions network. Founder John Pye began his auction business in Nottingham from a horse and cart in the 1960s. The business has since expanded to encompass a wide range of stock and boast facilities that span over 50 acres.

Sheldon Miller, John Pye business development director, said: “The first anniversary of our Chesterfield site marks the latest celebration for the John Pye family. We aim to create the most accessible and varied auctions and the Chesterfield site has helped us to achieve this goal over the past year.

“With plenty of saleroom space and a great range of stock, the Chesterfield site remains a fantastic addition to our auction house network. Continuing to develop this site will give bidders an even greater range of items and access to even more bargains.”