65 Years Strong: Steffes Group Celebrating Milestones
In a world where COVID changed the course of many industries, some traditions have stood the test of time. On April 3, 2025, Steffes Group marked a significant milestone with our first-ever live auction in Saskatchewan, Canada, coinciding with our 65th anniversary year. This event was not only part of our recent expansion into Canada but reinforced what we’ve known all along – people love live auctions.
The Energy of Live Auctions
Despite the shift of online auctions during and after the pandemic, there is something special about a live auction that you don’t get from an online auction. Jason LeBlanc, Strategic Advisor at Steffes and one of the auctioneers for the live auction, couldn’t help but notice the enthusiasm the auction goers had about the day. “People want to be back at live auctions” LeBlanc said. “The crowd loves it. They just want to hear the auctioneers and we have fun with the crowd.” “There is a certain energy that a live auction brings that you can’t get anywhere else.”
Jason said one of the highlights from the day was seeing young children, five or six years old, experience their first live auction. An event that our dads and grandpas attended on a regular basis is now something that is so far and few.
The weather was perfect, and when LeBlanc announced there would be no buyer’s fee, the crowd erupted in applause. Bidders traveled from three Canadian provinces, and we even had bidders from Mexico and various parts of the United States. By the end of the day we had achieved higher prices than expected resulting in happy sellers and a community after party to celebrate.
65 Years
As Steffes Group celebrates 65 years in the auction industry, we can’t help but reflect on how we got to where we are today and who got us there. Back in 1960, Bob Steffes started an auction company, his dad told him he had a pretty good voice, and he should go to school to be an auctioneer, so he did just that. What started off in Fargo, North Dakota now spans the Dakotas, Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, Colorado, Nevada, and now Canada.
When asked about reaching the company’s milestone, CEO Scott Steffes said, “65 years flies by.” Scott, who also auctioneered at the live auction event in Canada, noted “Canada didn’t feel any different than auctioneering in Hunter, North Dakota. Farmers are all the same no matter where they are.”
Scott posed an interesting question: “Did the pie taste the same in Canada in 1960 as it does 65 years later? The answer – the character of farmers and farming communities transcend both time and borders.
Principles That Stand the Test of Time
Throughout six and a half decades of service that started out in the agricultural industry, adding real estate, construction and transportation into the mix, our core principles are truer today than they were 65 years ago. We believe in under promising and over delivering and doing what is in the best interest of our buyers and sellers. As we mark these dual milestones – our 65th anniversary and our expansion into Canada, we recognize that none of this would be possible without the trust and support of our buyers and sellers. You have been the foundation of our business since 1960, and you will continue to be the foundation as we grow.
