How a Consistent Schedule Built a Serious Auction Business with Leon Stoltzfus of PA Auction Center
Leon Stoltzfus of PA Auction Center joins host Tim Peters and Andy Harbick for this episode of the No Reserve Podcast, recorded onsite at PA Auction Center's facility. Leon shares how his father bought the business in 2008 and spent five difficult years in the red before Leon joined in 2012 and the two of them started building something that actually worked.
Leon walks through how PA Auction Center grew into a five-auction-per-month operation covering variety sales, restaurant equipment, firearms, and tools and equipment. The consistent monthly schedule wasn't a marketing strategy — it was his dad's preference for routine. But it turned out to be one of their smartest moves, keeping marketing costs low and giving both buyers and consignors a reliable rhythm to count on.
He talks about the 2020 move from a 16,000 sq. ft. facility to a 140,000 sq. ft. building and what it actually takes to fill that kind of space. With 35 full-time employees and over 150 people on payroll, operations at that scale require more than hustle — they require systems, and that's where Leon says their focus is right now.
The conversation also gets into the live vs. online question. About half of PA Auction Center's revenue comes from online-only auctions, but Leon makes a strong case for why live auctions aren't going away, especially in Lancaster County, PA where auction culture runs deep. He sees live as less labor-intensive and easier to manage in ways that pure online operations often aren't.
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