About Us
History
Enlisted Auctions was born from the dream of a second generation auctioneer, Ben Yoder. Ben and his family started out in a company called Yoder’s Auction Service. Through a series of events, Yoder’s Auction Service was dissolved and Enlisted Auctions sprouted in its stead. The family has worked together for over 20 years in the auction industry.
Please meet our staff!
Ben is the third child and only boy in his family. He was 8 when he started working with auctions. He lives with his wife, Mandi (Dove), in Stuarts Draft, VA. They have two beautiful little girls, Rylea and Reagan. Ben was the work horse growing up. He was used to set up the tents and tables, carry items out of the house, and help load them after the auction. Even at a young age he worked as a ring man. He was so small he had to stand on the table to hold the items up so the crowd was able to see him. His dream was always to be an auctioneer and he sold his first item at auction when he was 9 years old. He attended the Mendenhall School of Auctioneering in 2001 and tested for his auctioneer license the day after he turned 18. He obtained his REALTOR license the same year. He now holds numerous certifications in the auction field. In 2004 he joined the US Army as a medic. He is a veteran of the Global War on Terrorism and Operation Iraqi Freedom. He now owns and operates Enlisted Auctions.
Josh Puffenbarger is a graduate of the Missouri Auction School. He obtained his auctioneer license in 2010 and joined Enlisted Auctions shortly thereafter. His agricultural background provides our clients with a tremendous amount of expertise and resources that were not readily available before. He quickly adapted to the philosophy and business model of Enlisted. His contributions to the clients and customers bring an even greater assurance that the Enlisted Auctions experience will exceed your expectations.
His wife, Amber, has also been a huge part of the business since they joined our staff. Amber is a skilled clerk and has cross trained in almost every other area of the company. She works full-time as a hair stylist in Dayton, VA. Her cheerful personality is extremely contagious and missed when she is not there.
Steve Howell joined the Enlisted Auctions team in 2011. He is a graduate of the Mendenhall School of Auctioneering and has been licensed since 2011. He is a licensed Realtor as well. Steve brings a very unique and fresh mindset to the table. His ideas have generated lots of revenue for clients. Steven is very involved in volunteer efforts throughout the community. One of his passions is Enlisted Fundraising. He has dedicated many hours to work with non-profit organizations to raise funds.
Steve and his wife, April, have 3 boys. They can all be found on set-up days or during the auctions working off the mischief young boys seem to accumulate. We appreciate their hard work and dedication to the success of each event.
Sadie, Ben’s mother, is utilized in the sorting and set-up phase. Her experience is invaluable to Enlisted Auctions. Her diligence and hard work has always set an example to her children. She works as the cashier on auction day. The mobile office is her domain and she runs it better than anyone in the business.
Carol is the oldest of the four children. She was 12 when she jumped in the auction pool. She lives in the Harrisonburg, VA area and is still employed by Enlisted Auctions. She does hours and hours of work behind the scenes to make the company run smoothly.
Judy was the next child in the line. She was 10 when the family business was formed. She lives with her husband, Jason Shank, in Mount Crawford, VA. They have three adorable children. Dylan, Zachary, and Emma keep her completely swamped. Judy’s talent was always setting up the tables for the auction. She had an eye for arranging items to make them look great. She still helps with auctions when the need arises and her contribution is always appreciated.
Anna is the youngest. She was only 6 when they started dragging her to auctions. She played many roles in the company. She was trained to do almost any job and she did them all well. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband, Victor Miller. She is employed at Curves where she works as a manager. She is greatly missed by the staff and customers alike.
Colonel Dave Bolden has followed our crew since the late 90’s. He was the head chef and Second in Command at the Fishburne Military School for over 30 years. He is a former Marine and veteran. Mr. Bolden is considered a family member by all of the staff. He is responsible for the concessions at each auction conducted by Enlisted Auctions. He takes a tremendous amount of pride in his services and it shows in the product he sells. We have many comments on the quality of his food. He has become a staple of Enlisted Auctions.
There are countless others who have slid in and helped Enlisted Auctions when needed. All of their contributions over the years have helped develop the company into what it is today.