Business the Speckmann Way

Like many of you, I grew up on a farm in rural Nebraska.

The youngest of five children, my siblings liked to jest that I got off easy. Farm life, however, is never easy. My father passed away when I was just 18 years old, but despite his early departure, he had plenty of time to teach me that honesty and hard work were not just the keys to success in life they were the Speckmann Way. It was expected–it was required!

As my wife, Elaine, and I weathered the turmoil of the farming crisis in the 1980s, the Speckmann Way was what pulled us through. The farming crisis coupled with my longtime interest in auctioneering set me up for a week-long trip to Mason City, IA where I attended auctioneering school in the spring of 1990. Little did I know then that I would find a passion for this profession that could only be matched by my love of the land.

When we started this business with our first sale in Tecumseh, Nebraska in June of 1990, I knew that it would take hard work and honesty to get us to where I wanted us to be–a household name in Johnson, Nemaha, Pawnee, and Richardson counties. A strong dose of humility and humor would also prove to be extremely helpful.

Elaine and I also knew that we couldn’t do this alone. We sought out close friends that we knew held the values of the Speckmann Way, taught our daughters the same, and employed them all.

I share this all because I believe that the Speckmann Way, while still rooted in honesty and hard work, has grown to something more. We take pride in the fact that our services begin the moment a family says they are interested and often continue well beyond closing day. We walk alongside our clients through every step of the process whether it be a $5,000 household sale or a $2 million land sale.

Our small business that began in one room of our house has expanded to a permanent office staffed all week long. We are supported by six sales agents, a large cadre of ringmen, cashiers, clerks, and movers, and a small convoy of vehicles that helps us do what we do each and every auction.

So, as we look forward we will continue to root ourselves in the Speckmann Way. We will spend our days running between our sale sites and the office always ensuring that our sellers are ready for the big day before we sit down for supper at night. You see, we know exactly how it feels to know that your retirement plan is in the soil beneath your feet and the machinery parked in the shed. We know that feeling, we share that feeling, and we hope you will trust us with your future.