Centaurus Financial keeps focus on community
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By MATTHEW PACKMAN
Centralia Chamber of Commerce Assistant Director
Whether assisting clients with their financial needs or sponsoring major local events, the father-son business duo of Barry and Chris Krupp see the value in hometown spirit.
With Centaurus Financial, the Krupps have earned themselves the reputation of providing trusted retirement, investment, and life insurance services, among others, while lending a loyal hand to annual events like the Centralia Balloon Fest.
“I’ve had a Centralia address my whole life, except for two years in Carbondale when I was finishing up my degree in accounting,” said Barry, who began working in finance in 1980. “[Centralia] is home, and I have enjoyed it here. My friends became my clients, and my clients became my friends. I’ve been blessed with this business.”
Submitted Photo/MATTHEW PACKMAN
BUSINESS OWNERS — Chris, LEFT, and Barry Krupp stand beside a photograph taken from Centaurus Financial’s first year as a Balloon Fest sponsor.
Chris, a ten-year veteran of the United States Army who returned to his hometown in 2017 to work with his father, agreed, saying, “We’re local people. Dad has been here almost all his life, and I’ve been here except 14 years. I plan to stay here.”
When it comes to assisting with the Balloon Fest, a 20-plus year venture for Centaurus, the Krupps said it’s far more of a celebration than an obligation.
“It can become addicting; chasing the balloon and helping the crew,” Barry said of the Balloon Fest experience. “It’s been a very fun thing for us, and we have been able to get most of our family up in the air, and a lot of friends. We just kind of built family time and friend time around the Balloon Fest.”
A former resident of Indianapolis, Chris said he wasn’t initially sold on joining his father at Centaurus but said the idea of coming home became more and more appealing over time.
“I was ready to get back home. I’d spent ten years in the Army. I got out and dad talked to me about coming into the business. I wasn’t sure I wanted to do that, so I took a job in Indiana,” Chris explained. “After doing that for a few years, working with dad starting sounding better to me every day. I decided to do it, and it’s just nice to be back home.”
One year after joining his father, Centaurus relocated from its 32-year location on Lincoln Boulevard to its current 600 S. Poplar location.
“We bought this building in 2018,” Barry recalled. “We just needed a little more room. This is probably a little more room than we needed, but we’ve filled it out nicely.”
The Krupps said their clientele is loyal and largely loyal, with Barry saying business got closer to home throughout the years.
“When I started out, I would travel as far out as 100 miles. The longer I’ve been in the business, the closer things get, and the more business starts to come home,” Krupp said. “When I started, I went looking for the business aggressively. Over the years, my clientele had become established and naturally became closer to home. We do have some clients a couple of hours away, but I would say 90 percent of them are within 25 miles.”
Speaking on the changes he’s seen since joining Centaurus seven years ago, Chris added, “Even when I came back to work for dad, we were mailing most of our paperwork at that time. That was only seven years ago. Now, we don’t mail anything except for checks. It’s all emailed out, and on some occasions, faxed. Technology has changed a lot in this industry. You can do just about anything with a computer these days.”
Speaking on the future of Centaurus Financial, it was made evident Chris is the future of the business, ensuring it will remain a family affair for many years to come.
“I plan on continuing to run it,” Chris confirmed. “I’ve got two of my own girls and two stepdaughters. We’ll see if one of them wants to step into the business. We’ll just have to see how it goes. We’ll see what they decide, but it would be nice to keep it in the family.”
