Mike Gallagher Honored with PSU Alumni Award
How an “Employee-First” Mindset Built a Thriving Company
When Mike Gallagher walked into Plymouth State University in the 1970s, he couldn’t have imagined how those years would shape his future as a business leader. Decades later, Mike Gallagher, now Owner/President of Centro Inc., has been named the 2025 Outstanding Graduate Alumni Award recipient by his alma mater.
Gallagher’s leadership philosophy is deceptively simple: take care of your employees first, and they’ll take care of your customers and your company. It’s a principle that has powered Centro’s growth from $11 million to $82 million in annual sales over 23 years, without a single layoff.
A Career Built on Bold Decisions
Gallagher’s journey didn’t start in a boardroom. It began in the aisles of a supermarket, where he worked as a stockboy while pursuing his MBA at PSU. With the support of his wife, Janice, he built the foundation of a career defined by both courage and conviction.
At age 50, Gallagher made what he calls one of the biggest leaps of his life: he mortgaged his home three times and liquidated his savings to buy into Centro. That decision ultimately transformed the company, growing it from three to nine locations and increasing sales by more than 800%.
Leading Through Every Storm
One of the most striking parts of Gallagher’s story is what didn’t happen along the way over all of these years is no layoffs. Even during the 2008 financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, Centro never laid off a single employee who wanted to stay.
“We have never laid off an employee who wanted to remain with the company,” Gallagher says. “This created a strong positive culture in the company, which resulted in very little employee turnover and a sense of ownership by the employees.”
Sharing the Wins
Gallagher’s leadership isn’t just about protecting jobs, it’s about rewarding people for their role in the company’s success. Centro’s profit-sharing model allows every employee to participate in the company’s growth, reinforcing a culture where people feel valued, appreciated, and invested in the mission.
“I believe that people will take pride in their work and their association with a company if they feel valued and appreciated,” Gallagher explains. “And if they are able to participate financially in the success of the company.”
Lessons From the Past, Built for the Future
Gallagher traces this philosophy back to his independent study on Amoskeag Manufacturing Company while at PSU. The lesson is that companies that neglect their employees ultimately undermine their own success. That insight has guided Gallagher ever since, shaping a company culture that prioritizes people first.
As a first-generation college graduate who relied on federal student loans to make his education possible, Gallagher also embodies Plymouth State’s mission of opening doors through accessible education.
“PSU set the foundation on which I built my career and also set the direction of how I would eventually behave in leadership roles in my business career,” says Gallagher.
A Well-Deserved Honor
Plymouth State University’s Outstanding Graduate Alumni Award recognizes graduates who achieve exceptional success while staying true to the university’s values of excellence, innovation, and community service. Gallagher’s career is proof that great companies are built on great people and on leaders who put their teams first.
As Centro continues to grow, Gallagher’s story serves as a powerful reminder that when leaders choose to invest in people, the results can last for decades.
