Meet Theresa Blocher of Kiko. She's in the Ohio Auctioneers Association Hall of Fame.

Anyone driving around Stark County will probably see one or more Kiko auction signs posted in a yard, along the road or on street corner. The company has been a longtime staple in the county.

Theresa Blocher, a Realtor and auctioneer with Kiko, has worked full time at the company since 1988 and is a third-generation family member at the business. She decided to become an auctioneer “because of the excitement of working with people."

She graduated from Minerva High School and Ohio State University. Blocher lives in Paris Township with her husband Tim. They have two daughters, Raychel and Kathryn, and a son-in-law, Nick.

Blocher was recently inducted into the Ohio Auctioneers Association Hall of Fame in Columbus, which has become a seemingly family tradition. She has worked with family generations before her including her grandfather and father and now she works with future family generations, including a fifth-generation family member who has joined the team.

5 questions with Molly Wobbecke Shaw: She helps shape future business leaders through Junior Achievement

What does it mean to you to be inducted into the Ohio Auctioneers Association Hall of Fame?

The induction took place on Jan. 12 at the OAA convention, which was held in Columbus. I was completely surprised and overwhelmed by both the award and the nomination, which came from a dear colleague at another auction company.

I am a huge advocate of the OAA and the training it provides young auctioneers, so this Hall of Fame award was a true honor. I have spent many years of my career mentoring and advising new auctioneers, so it was amazing to receive this recognition. Both my father and grandfather — the founder of our company — are Hall of Fame inductees, so it was a very special moment.

Share your thoughts and feelings on what it means to be a third-generation family member working on the Kiko team.

There is a supportive respect for one another that can’t be measured or easily described.

I had the privilege of working with my grandfather for a few years, as well as many years with my father. During their business meetings, I learned lessons that went far beyond my college degree. Then it carried over to my uncles, siblings and cousins.

Our business wasn’t just getting on the auction podium as the auctioneer and running our chant, it was about working together to help our clients.

Our family works together day after day, year after year and decade after decade to create good honest results. The chant and the auction method are simply our tools.

My father, uncles, cousins, siblings — and now nieces, nephews, and many other sales and operations professionals — respect and support each other. Now, I am passionate about passing those values on to current Kiko team members, including our first fifth-generation auctioneer who joined the company this year.

No matter what your position is in the family business, from staff to labor to top-producing auctioneer, everyone has value and is needed for us to be successful. We are all working for the same goal, together. We each have our own unique skills that fit in the business, different passions and talents that are needed. That makes us blessed as a company. We play off each other’s talents. It is an incredible feeling.

Would you suggest three things you advise people thinking of auctioning off a house to consider before moving forward?

Find an adviser you can trust and relate to, work with someone who helps you reach your goals, and explore your options.

There are multiple ways to sell a house or a farm; true advisers will explain all the options so you can make the most informed decision possible.

Bonus: Stick with local experts — they know the market and community best.

What do you find most challenging about your work?

In my early years, the challenge I had was time management. In sales, you work long hours to create relationships with clients and learn the business. I am good with details and scheduling.

But, as you become more successful and the demand from clients increases, I had to learn to delegate and leverage help from others within the company. As a successful auctioneer, you must have faith in the others around you, and in your auction crowd.

When I reached that point in my career, and leveraged others, then I really took off in the business. I learned to use my talent where it was needed and relied on other team members and their talents. It becomes a win-win for all of us.

Why do you think auctions are so well attended in Stark County?

KIKO auctions are well attended — both on-site and through online/simulcast bidding — because we successfully market properties and sell at absolute auction.

The buyers know the property will sell at a Kiko auction, and that creates a level of excitement and even competition that draws a crowd. We have built a reputation of trust that we do good business.

It’s also a great way to see how auctions work and to ask questions of our team.

Editor's note: Five questions with ... is a Sunday feature that showcases a member of the Stark County community. If you'd like to recommend someone to participate, send an email to newsroom@cantonrep.com.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: 5 questions with Theresa Blocher, an auctioneer/Realtor with Kiko