History
RJ Thieneman is a local leader in single-family neighborhood development, commercial and multi-family development, and is also a property management company and full-service real estate brokerage. The company was founded by Robert J. Thieneman, Sr., an icon in the Louisville real estate market where his achievements as a Realtor, builder and developer spanned more than 50 years.
R.J. Thieneman took great pride in the reputation he earned as a builder and developer of many quality neighborhoods that are now home to thousands of Louisville residents. These include: Clover Leaf, Fern Lee, Trinity Hills, Breckenridge Estates, Towne Orchard, Steeplechase, Windhurst Acres, Windhurst of Windy Hills, Crossmoor, Westwood Farms, Hurstbourne Woods, The Woods of St. Thomas, Forest Springs, Forest Springs North, Saratoga Woods, Saratoga Springs and Rock Springs. Four of these communities have had the honor of hosting the annual Homearama new home showcase event produced by the Home Builders Association of Louisville (HBAL), including Saratoga Woods, Forest Springs, Forest Springs North and Woods of St. Thomas.
In a 2007 interview with a company writer, R.J. recalled that, before he ventured into real estate, he worked on a burr machine assembly line for International Harvester—where he was told to slow down. “The boss came to me one time, and he said, ‘You can’t work that fast because you’re making too much money.’ They would have to re-work the machines and everyone would have to work harder,” R.J. recalled. “I couldn’t produce what I wanted. Then, I knew that really wasn’t for me.”
R.J. and his friend, Fred Slater, would ride to work together and have conversations about getting into real estate. They both eventually got their licenses and went into the building business. “I was more ‘on-the-job’ and he was more ‘in-the-office,’” Thieneman told the interviewer. “He had $350 and I had $350. We put the $700 down and got a loan on our first house.”
That first house led to thousands more throughout Jefferson County over the next half century, with the addition of multi-family, mixed-use and commercial developments during that span of time.
When asked if there was a formula to selecting successful neighborhood locations, R.J. explained, “You ask yourself, ‘Would I want to live there?’ Then, you look at how close a piece of ground is to major roads, schools and shopping,” he explained. “Real estate is your best investment because they don’t make any ground anymore.”
“Treat the people right,” he said, divulging his foundation for business longevity. “It’s the main thing.”
That philosophy lives on with his core values that remain posted in the company’s office as “R.J.’s Way;”
honesty, integrity and family values first.
Robert J. Thieneman, Sr., was honored him in 1997 by the Home Builders Association of Louisville with its inaugural John Robinson Lifetime Achievement Award.
In recent years, the organization has been under the direction of second-generation leadership that continues to follow the principals and practices of their patriarch, instilled through decades of working side-by-side with their father in the business. The company has expanded its commercial property involvement into other areas of Kentucky through its acquisition and management of the Northcrest Center in Elizabethtown and Franklin Square in Frankfort and continues to seek viable opportunities in all aspects of the real estate business.