A state judge has authorized a defunct Oregon beef packer to auction its assets since no buyer has committed to purchase the facility as a package.

On Oct. 15, Lane County Circuit Judge Charles Carlson agreed to a request by Richard Hooper, a court-appointed receiver, to hold an auction for the equipment owned by Bartels Packing of Eugene, Ore.

Earlier this summer, Hooper had notified the court that a “letter of intent” had been submitted by a buyer who planned to keep the slaughterhouse and processing facilities operational.

At this point, however, the prospect of a buyer re-opening Bartels as a “going concern” doesn’t appear viable so the company would prefer to offer its assets for auction as a lot rather than allowing bidders to “cherry pick” items, an attorney for Hooper said at the hearing.

Some of the equipment is computerized and only a few years old, so the auctioneer plans to avoid starting with low minimum bids to achieve the best prices, Hooper said.

An attorney for Chris Bartels, the company’s owner, raised the possibility of certain items fetching the best value if sold separately apart from the auction.

However, the judge said there was “no question” an open auction would be the most effective venue and approved the event, with the provision that it can be called off if a buyer is found for the entire company.

Bartels Packing shut down operations in March and laid off more than 140 employees, citing the loss of a major customer and continuing sales declines.

At the time of its closure, the company had a total debt of $8.3 million — including $4.6 million owed to cattle suppliers and feedlots — with assets worth roughly $14 million.

Apart from owing money to livestock producers, Bartels stopped participating in cattle auctions, where the company was considered an important buyer of local and grassfed cows.

According to court documents, a property lease for the Bartels facilities is expiring early next year, so the auction would most likely take place by mid-December.