When Josh Krueckeberg stepped into leadership at Krueckeberg Auction and Realty (KJ Auction) following his father’s passing in 2001, he inherited a respected family business with deep roots in the community.
He also saw an opportunity to build something bigger.
Over the next two decades, KJ Auction entered a sustained period of growth—acquiring established companies, expanding its regional reach, and adding the people, facilities, and technology needed to serve a much broader range of clients.
“The goal has always been to strengthen the company,” said Josh, “expanding what we can offer and creating more opportunities for the people we serve.”
As a result, KJ Auction has grown from a small, family-operated auction business into a Midwest auction and real estate network of companies, complete with four affiliated businesses and operations spanning five states.
A Growth Mindset Takes Hold
From the beginning of his leadership, Josh understood that growth would require more than simply conducting additional auctions and real estate transactions.
KJ Auction needed greater capacity. To get there, Josh set out to build a wider buyer network, stronger marketing and advertising resources, additional labor support, and expertise across a wider range of assets and transactions.
“We wanted to put more tools in the toolbox,” Josh said. “That meant more people, more marketing, more buyers, and more support behind every auction and real estate deal.”
Those investments allowed KJ Auction to take on opportunities that would have been difficult for a smaller company to manage. Today, the team can handle everything from a household estates sale with a limited number of items or traditional real estate transactions to farm or equipment auctions and the complete liquidation of large businesses.
That flexibility became an important part of what Josh describes as the Krueckeberg difference.
“We can handle the small auction, but we can also manage a major liquidation,” he said. “Whatever the client’s needs may be, we want to have the experience and resources to take care of the entire process.”
Strategic Acquisitions Expand the Company’s Midwest Reach
Acquisitions became a central part of KJ Auction’s growth strategy.
Rather than expanding only through new locations or services, KJ Auction looked for opportunities to acquire respected businesses complete with strong teams, established relationships, and valuable experience in their communities.
Those acquisitions were strategic, resulting in KJ Auction acquiring Ideal Realtors in 2012 and BKM Real Estate & Auction in 2017. KJ Auction continued its expansion in 2022 with the addition of Indianapolis-based Key Auctioneers.
Each acquisition extended KJ Auction’s geographic reach while adding new capabilities, buyers, and industry knowledge.
“Every company we have acquired brought something valuable to the organization,” Josh said. “They brought relationships, local knowledge, experienced people, and opportunities to serve clients in new markets.”
Together, Krueckeberg Auction and Realty, Ideal Realtors, BKM Real Estate & Auction, and Key Auctioneers have created a stronger regional organization with the capacity to serve clients throughout Indiana and across the Midwest.
The acquisitions have also given sellers access to a significantly broader audience.
“A larger buyer base creates more exposure and more competition,” Josh said. “That wider reach can make a meaningful difference for the seller.”
More Resources Behind Every Auction
As the company expanded, KJ Auction invested in the infrastructure needed to support its growing team and client base.
Its Decatur auction complex gives the company the ability to receive, store, organize, and sell a wide range of assets. The team can also travel across the country to retrieve equipment or other property and bring it back to the facility for sale.
“Some smaller companies can handle the auction itself, but they may not have the people or facilities to take care of all the details that make it work,” Josh said. “We have built the support system required to do both.”
That support can include inventory management, transportation, asset preparation, photography, advertising, online bidding, buyer communication, payment collection, and removal coordination.
By bringing all these services together, KJ Auction can provide clients with a more complete solution.
“We want to be a one-stop shop,” Josh said. “A client shouldn’t have to figure out five different companies to handle one transition. We want to make the process as simple and effective as possible.”
From a Family Business to a Regional Auction Company
The growth of KJ Auction over the past two decades has been substantial.
What began as a family business focused primarily on appraisals, real estate, and local auctions now serves clients across five states and reaches buyers throughout the country.
But even as its geographic footprint and capabilities have expanded, KJ Auction continues to approach each project with a personal understanding of what’s at stake.
Auctions often happen during major moments of change. A family may be settling an estate. A business owner may be retiring. A company may need to liquidate equipment, restructure operations or sell real estate. The size of the auction may vary, but the need for dependable guidance remains the same.
Growth Built on a Strong Foundation
The company’s growth would not have been possible without the foundation established by Josh’s father, Kent Krueckeberg.
Kent founded the business in 1977 and built its reputation through appraisal work, real estate services and auctions. More importantly, he built lasting relationships and earned the trust of clients throughout the community.
“My dad created a very strong foundation,” Josh said. “He treated people fairly, understood the value of what they owned, and built relationships that lasted.”
Josh’s leadership has taken that company culture into new markets and new areas of service, ensuring that the values Kent established remain central to the business. In other words, growth hasn’t replaced that foundation. It has expanded what the company can build upon it.
Still in Growth Mode
More than two decades after Josh assumed leadership, KJ Auction continues to look for opportunities to strengthen its team, extend its reach, and improve the experience it provides to buyers and sellers.
That forward-looking mindset has helped transform KJ Auction from a local family business into a growing Midwest auction company.
KJ Auction remains built on the relationships and trust established by Kent Krueckeberg. Under Josh’s leadership, it is also driven by a clear belief in what comes next: broader reach, greater capacity, and more ways to help clients move forward.