Group Duncan & Surplus First Archived Projects

NASA: During the 1960’s and early 70’s NASA used 2 ships called the Vanguards to track the Apollo missions in the northern and southern hemispheres. When the ships were retired and dismantled, Group Duncan was instrumental in marketing and recovering a substantial amount of funds on the internal electrical and marine equipment!

UNITED KINGDOM: When UK’s Whipp & Bourne, a 120 year old company, was seeking assistance in entering the U.S. market, Group Duncan partnered with them and within less than a year Whipp & Bourne was integrated into the U.S. utility and industrial sectors with a substantial market share of business!

First Custom Home: After growing up with an entrepreneur father that taught Rick Duncan business focusing on the classic car and construction business, Rick built his first custom home in the early 80’s in Houston, Texas

BUIILDZITTS BUILDERS: During the 1980’s Rick Duncan establishes & builds one of the largest deck building companies in the U.S. called Buildzitts Builders and later incorporated custom homes into the business. Mr. Duncan received an offer on the company a few years later and sold the business.

MYCLASSIC NEWS: In 2011 Rick Duncan launches www.myclassicnews.com which has become one of the most visited classic car and automotive industry news websites of its kind. Bentley in Crewe England commended Mr. Duncan on the exceptional news coverage and invited him to the U.K. to tour their factory

HOWARD HUGHES: Many years after Howard Hughes died, his office and headquarters in Houston was demolished. Surplus First & Group Duncan was instrumental in the marketing & liquidation of all the facility’s assets, from office archives to electrical and mechanical equipment!

NUCLEAR FACILITIES: When nuclear facilities remove electrical and mechanical equipment or have demolition projects, Surplus First has been instrumental is assisting them in the liquidation of all their material!

OFFSHORE RECLAMATION: When rigs off the coast of the Netherlands and the American Gulf Coast were upgrading electrical equipment, Surplus First assisted in reclaiming millions of dollars on the old and obsolete removed equipment!

HURRICANE KATRINA: After New Orleans was devastated, Surplus First was immediately on the scene assisting with the reclamation of flooded equipment for financially damaged utility companies and we were instrumental in the building of the new electrical infrastructure.

MEXICO CITY EARTHQUAKE: On the morning of September 12, 1985 at 7:18 a.m. an 8.0 magnitude earthquake hit Mexico City. As soon as it was allowed, Group Duncan and Surplus first was assisting with the rebuilding of the entire electrical infrastructure and marketing the used material being removed, recouping the city and businesses hundreds and millions of dollars.

PITTSBURGH STEEL: During the 1980’s, the Pittsburgh and American steel market was closing down and in financial ruin, due to Chinese competition. Group Duncan was there assisting and saving millions of dollars in electrical & mechanical liquidations and marketing for several steel organizations!

REFINERIES, PROCESS & CHEMICAL PLANTS: Refineries and Plants worldwide are continually upgrading equipment from electrical, valves, motors, etc… Surplus First has been instrumental in assisting various plants in reclaiming billions of dollars on retired and removed obsolete equipment!

DUNCANS CADILLACS: During the late 1950’s Mr. Joe Duncan was building his legacy to pass on to his two sons. By the early 1960’s Mr. Duncan became the go-to Cadillac dealer for many actors and actresses in the Hollywood scene, such as John Wayne, Roy Rogers and many others.

FIRST CLASSIC CAR AUCTION: In the late 1960’s, Joe Duncan was operating four dealer car auctions in Florida. He was the first known individual in America to start classic car night in Orlando, which is now known as the first organized and constant classic car auction to be established in the United States.

SOUTHFORK RANCH HISTORY: In February 2020 Duncan’s Auctions performed a classic car auction at Southfork Ranch, where the famed show “Dallas” was filmed and where J.R. Ewing was born. Group Duncan marketed and branded the Dallas Classic at Southfork and the event filled more people in the Southfork mansion than ever before.  As a result the event was a huge success.