RICHARD RANFT, CAI, GPPA, AARE, REALTOR® is president of United Country Beloit Auction Service, Inc. and its sister company, United Country Beloit Auction & Realty, Inc. He not only oversees both companies but also is an integral part of the day-to-day business in both.

Raised in an Auction family, Rich brings a heritage of enthusiasm for the Auction method of marketing to both personal property and real estate Auctions.

An Auctioneer since 1975, he is a long-time member of the National and Wisconsin Auctioneers Associations and is a past director of the WAA. He’s a firm advocate for continuing education and stays on the cutting edge of industry innovations. A Real Estate broker and court appointed personal property appraiser, he believes that being part of the United Country franchise system is the perfect fit for his firm.

BILL PERKINS, CAI, GPPA, CAGA, REALTOR® is vice president of Auction Operations. He’s a professional Auctioneer, certified personal property appraiser and Wisconsin Real Estate Broker.

A south-central Wisconsin native, Bill has operated his own Avalon Auction center and has worked for a number of years as a vital member of the United Country Beloit Auction team. Bill is proficient at arranging on-site auctions, an alternative to auction center events.

Bill and his wife, Audra, lead a very busy life balancing work and raising their two teenage boys, who are active in sports in the Clinton, Wisconsin school district, and raising fainting goats.

Rich’s wife and business partner, Pat is a Rockford College graduate and was a teacher as well as a retail store owner prior to joining her husband in the auction business in 1980. She heads the office, clerks auctions on their computerized system and enjoys marketing events for clients.

She met Rich at – where else – an auction! Rich and Pat are proud grandparents of two – Joe and Libby.

A seasoned auctioneer and Wisconsin real estate broker, George has worked with Rich for many years. He handles Wisconsin real estate closings and also assists with bid calling and as a ringman at personal property auctions.

He’s operated his own auction service in Monroe and brings that experience as a benefit to his affiliation with this company.

Having joined the United Country Beloit Auction & Realty team in 2006, Tonya came with a 17-year background in conventional real estate and real estate appraisal business.

She’s a REALTOR and holds Wisconsin and Illinois Real Estate sales licenses. A strong advocate for selling Real Estate through the auction method, Tonya is a multi-talented lady. She performs much of the administrative office work, assists with listing properties, does open houses, and handles many of the daily calls from clients.

In addition, you’ll see Tonya assisting at personal property auctions as a ring person. She balances a busy work schedule with an equally busy life as a wife and mother.

Heading our Palatine, Illinois real estate office, John is a licensed Illinois real estate broker who frequently travels from the Chicagoland area to other northern Illinois communities to expertly handle real estate listings, open houses, and closings.

A Master’s graduate of Judson University, John was raised in Niles, Illinois, and brings a large network of contacts to the company. He, his wife, and their two children live in Arlington Heights, Illinois.

Julie holds her Illinois real estate license and works out of our Palatine, Illinois office. A 1993 graduate of UW Platteville, where she obtained a BS in Agri-business, Julie was raised in Milton, Wisconsin and now lives with her husband and daughter in Palatine.

She balances a career in law enforcement with her real estate work and brings dedication to both.

Operations manager and ring boss, Al Frye is an expert at arranging items for preview and auctions. His organizational skills are an important asset to the business.

A long-time employee, he’s a non-stop worker, always ready and willing to get the job done.

Beloit native Brian wears many hats – estate gatherer, set-up person, auction clerk, online catalog expert, and online Internet auction facilitator.

He joined the company in 1996 and has been an important part of the staff since then. When he has time, he enjoys playing golf and traveling.

Penny has shared her friendly smile with auction customers since before her two teenage sons were born. She’s Mrs. Allen Frye, and thanks to her, absentee bids are handled with accuracy.

She’s an enthusiastic Chicago Bears fan in Green Bay Packers territory.

He’s connected remotely to our computer systems and helps solve our technical problems. He’s only a click or phone call away.

Lyle joined the company in 2005 and has proven himself to be a dedicated, reliable and organized staff member. He’s responsible for a great portion of each auction set-up, assists as a ringman, and goes on most estate and household pickups.Lyle is the father of one grown son.

Billie Jo moved from customer to part-time office worker in 2008 to full time in 2011. Wife, mother of 5, and a new grandmother, her calm nature makes her a real asset for this very busy office. She balances office responsibilities with auction setup and client contact with ease. In addition, she is one of our internet auction facilitators during live online auctions.

An office assistant who also helps with incoming consignments and auction setup, Brisa joined our staff in 2011. She has a degree in Business Administration from Upper Iowa University after graduating from high school in South Beloit, Illinois and now lives in Beloit with her husband and two children. Fluent in Spanish, Brisa makes sure that Hispanic clients’ questions are answered clearly.

Jackie’s background as a legal secretary as well as her expert organizational skills and diplomatic manner make her the perfect assistant for the many personal property appraisals handled by our office. She’s a Milwaukee area native who moved to Beloit with her husband several years ago and now holds the title of “Grandmother.”

Expert at efficiently handling auction office registration and checkout as well as being an experienced ring person, Nichole’s outgoing personality puts customers at ease. Mother of two teenagers, she’s also office personnel in the health care industry and is pursuing an advanced degree.

You’ll see Brian in the auction ring catching bids and assisting customers during our weekly auctions. He joined our staff after having been a customer for a number of years, so he is very familiar with the business and auctions in general. Brian lives in Beloit with his family.

This brother and sister team are high school students and the fourth generation in their family to work in the auction company. Tyler’s a natural ringman, adept at bid catching. Emily assists with auction registration and also takes care of the snack counter during auctions.

Retired auctioneer Bill and his late wife Carol founded the original auction house back in the early 1970s. Son Rich and his wife Pat renamed the business Beloit Auction Service when they bought the company in 1980.

Carol passed away in 2009, but Bill is still very active and enjoys attending auctions.