38th Annual Air Works Auction and Mt. Hope Showcase set for February 19–21 in Mt. Hope
(MT. HOPE, OHIO—FEBRUARY 6, 2026) The three-day Annual Air Works Consignment Auction and Mt. Hope Showcase events are set for February 19-21, 2026 at the Mt. Hope Event Center, on the Mt. Hope Auction Grounds in Mt. Hope, Ohio.
“We are excited about the growth of both the auction and Mt. Hope Showcase this year. With the building expansion it has opened so many more opportunities for everyone,” said John Wengerd, CEO of the newly restructured Air Works Auction Company.
The Auction starts each day at 8:30 and Mt. Hope Showcase trade show hosting nearly 300 vendors opens at 8 each day.
More than 30,000 items will be sold over the three days in more than 20 rings at this year’s Air Works Consignment Auction. Item categories include Heavy Equipment, Sawmill, Woodworking, Attachments, Metal Working, Power Units, Industrial Equipment, and Antiques.
There are special evening programs on both Thursday and Friday evenings in the Beachy Arena located on the Auction grounds.
On Thursday at 6:00pm, the Air Works Auction will host an Amateur Auctioneer Showcase approved by the Ohio Department of Agricuture, the governing body of auctioneer licensing in Ohio. The contest will feature various talented rookie auctioneers who wish to try their hand behind the auction block. Interested individuals are invited to register in advance by calling Mattie Troyer at 330-988-4408. The contest is limited to 30 contestants.
Special items auctioned off by contestants are donated items including a live Highland Cow, hand tools, hunting equipment, and more. The proceeds from the items sold by the amateurs will be distributed to various charitable causes.
The auction contest can also be heard live on the CONFERENCE LINE by calling 925-500-9068 Ext 1. Select Air Works Auction & Ext 2. If support is needed for conference line call 812-787-1908.
The Friday evening program starts at 7:00pm and will feature a seminar panel presentation by Larry Troyer and Gary Graber on the topic of ‘Restructuring a Small Business for the Second and Third Generation”. The panel will be followed by a presentation by guest speaker Duke Duvall and acapalla singing by the Lehman Family from Ashland, Ohio.
Thanks to the expansion of the Mt. Hope Auction Event Center, Mt. Hope Showcase—the trade show held concurrently with the Air Works Consignment Auction—now features an additional 33,000 square feet, plus an extra 8,000 square feet of mezzanine space, allowing it to accommodate nearly 300 vendors, up from nearly 200 last year.
This year’s Auction has over 30,000 items consigned, selling in more than 20 rings. For details on specific items, check the website at airworksauction.com.
Air Works Consignment Auction was founded by Reuben Troyer who owned the Air Works store along Route 250, near Apple Creek, Ohio, where he sold and repaired small engines and turned gas motorized pieces into pneumatic equipment which made it more suitable and accepted for conservative Amish groups.
Auctions run deep in the Troyer family. That legacy began in 1948, when Reuben’s father, Eli Troyer took a job at the Kidron Livestock Auction, clerking sales and spending one or two days a week in the auction world. His sons grew up immersed in that environment, laying the foundation for what was to come.
More than 30 years later, Reuben Troyer sought a way to sell quality, well-maintained rental equipment from his growing Air Works business east of Apple Creek. Staying true to the Troyer spirit, he turned to the auction process. The Air Works Consignment Auction was born with the first sale held in 1990 alongside Auctioneer Steve Andrews at a neighboring farm.
As the auction grew, so did its needs. After three years, the sale moved to the Kidron Auction grounds, where it thrived for more than two decades. The partnership provided a dependable, well-equipped location that supported continued growth—no matter the weather.
In 2015, the expanding sale moved to Mt. Hope to accommodate increased volume and more indoor selling space. The new location allows the auction to begin on Thursday and conclude by mid-afternoon Saturday, giving buyers more flexibility and reducing weather-related delays during unloading week.
As Reuben Troyer, founder of the event, reminisces and reviews the dynamics and experiences of the past 37 years of the Air Works Consignment Auction, he simply says, “We are blessed many times over.”
“I am not the most organized fellow, but the chaos and energy that comes with an auction—it’s who I am—and it makes me come alive.”
With the continued growth of the Auction, Reuben and different ones of his children have taken various responsibilities over the years.
“I feel extremely grateful that our family is intimately involved, as well as, the many friendships that have come through the auction. It’s truly incredible to experience,” said Troyer. “I wish I would have a whole week the night before the auction to talk to all the people who attend.”
Over the past several years, the Troyer family has been in conversation about transitioning the business from a founder-led operation to a family-owned corporate structure. That process formally began as the family sought a long-term framework that would provide clarity, stability, and continuity for future generations. Valuable guidance throughout this transition came from the Anabaptist Financial Business Advisory team, whose support helped shape the structure and direction of the company.
As a result, Air Works Auction Company was formed, bringing together Reuben and Mattie Troyer along with most of their children. In August 2025, John Wengerd, formerly with Flextur of Dalton, Ohio, was hired as CEO, allowing the company to move forward with experienced leadership. This also enables the Troyer family to focus on governance, strategy, and growth opportunities under the new parent company structure.
With the added leadership the newly formed Air Works Auction Company continues to offer business liquidations and dispersals. Since this transition the Auction Company also offers agent services for reselling turn key industrial businesses. Since August, two turnkey businesses have been sold, and the one company listed and available as of this writing is Daystar Lighting Systems. The Campbell Hill, Illinois-based company manufactures natural lighting tubes connecting roof to ceiling, and is popular among plain folk, requiring no electricity and extending daylight hours every day of the year.
Air Works also hosts monthly equipment consignment auctions at their Dalton, Ohio warehouse which is open to outside consignments and has several loads of import equipment each month.
See the Air Works Auction website for the monthly auction dates, as well as, all the early consignments for the February 19-21 auction.
Auction hours are: 8:30 each day until the item areas are sold out.
Mt. Hope Showcase trade show hours: Thursday 8–6. Friday, 8–7. Saturday 8–12.
For more info on the Air Works Consignment Auction or Mt. Hope Showcase, visit airworksauction.com or mthopeshowcase.com. Or, call the Air Works Auction office at 330-845-8485.
