Karsten Rumpf arrived in Canada in 1965 with $200, two Italian table-soccer machines and a dream.

He placed the machines in bowling alleys and billiard salons, but real control was only possible in his own building. After operating hundreds of machines over two years he purchased his first building in 1967, opening an amusement arcade. He drew on the support of his parents as well, property owners based in Germany. His father taught him his life motto: Never over-leverage, never become dependent.

In 1974 Karsten’s company – the future Prime Properties – bought its first building in Montreal. Multiple similar purchases later became the primary downtown amusement arcade operator. In 1980 it acquired a first building in Toronto destined to become HMV Canada’s flagship store. Karsten branched out with purchases in Calgary, Alberta.

The lessons from successfully weathering real estate and political crises in Quebec in the 1980’s gave Karsten a renewed focus on sustainable financial stability and an adaptability to new realties. When opportunities appeared, he was positioned to make the most of them.

Through developments in Alberta and Ontario, and a holistic transition of older properties to different purposes, a new direction became clear: high-street retail in major city centres. Recognizing home video’s negative impact on the arcade business, Karsten converted and rented his arcade locations to high-end retailers.

Today, Karsten Rumpf has grown real estate holdings from commercial to residential, and has expanded development & management teams into other cities . Major commercial real estate landscapes throughout Canada, Germany, and the United States have felt his influence: Montreal’s vibrant St. Catherine Street; Toronto’s Yonge Street; Leipzig’s historic city center; downtown New York; Miami; all are among the stunning locations where he has made his presence and style known.

A Family Affair

Karsten Rumpf knows it takes the support and love of family to achieve one’s highest aspirations. His parents gave him a stupendous start: they imparted to him an ethos of trust, responsibility and commitment which Karsten, in turn, has passed on to his own family.

Karsten met his wife Bettina in the early 1980’s. She soon began working by his side, enabling him to expand his business in new and exciting ways. They have passed on a similar passion for the art of property development to their sons Richard and Daniel. Richard’s grasp of both new technology and design trends is the perfect complement his father’s command of timeless, classic detail, enabling him to make his unique mark on the business. Daniel, pursuing post-secondary education, intends to follow them into the world of property development and finance.

As a family, the Rumpf’s belief that social responsibility goes hand-in-hand with opportunity sees them deeply involved in philanthropy, be it funding archeological excavations, historic preservation projects, or multiple charitable endeavours.

The Future is Now

Nearly five decades have passed since Karsten Rumpf arrived in Canada with a vision. The tremendous values absorbed from his parents and passed on to his family remain at the core of Rumpf Highstreets mission: improve the world, one building at a time.

Bettina was raised and educated in South Africa. As a young person, she worked after school and on weekends in her Mother’s small restaurant, where she learned to build relationships with clients based on hard work and great service. This led to a career in the fashion industry, where she quickly moved from sales to buyer. Bettina also had an early love of travel, and her engagement with the world combined with natural business acumen to prepare her for a very special future.

In 1983 her travels led her to Montreal, where she was destined to meet the man who would become her partner in life, Karsten Rumpf. Bettina’s instincts and ability to assess people’s potential proved invaluable in the early stages of their partnership. Her keen intuition has helped to advance the family business – in particular, her gift for recruiting people who demonstrate honesty, a positive attitude, and a dedication that echoes her own. Bettina continues to contribute expert managerial skills to the Rumpf family companies.

Together, Bettina and Karsten developed a unified vision for building a family-run, international real estate business. She works alongside her husband every day, dedicating herself to freeing his hands to shape their family business in new and creative ways. In addition to her deep involvement in her family’s wide ranging business activities, Bettina is a woman of many interests – the arts, fashion and philanthropy. Notably, she has dedicated herself to heightening the awareness of family and friends about healthy lifestyle choices. She is also a marvelous host and accomplished cook, as those fortunate to have been guests at her table quite happily attest.

Bettina’s instincts, intelligence, and discretion have been proudly imparted to her sons Richard and Daniel. As partners in life for over 32 years, Bettina and Karsten maintain a schedule that spans the globe, tending to the needs of their thriving trans-continental interests. Today-through their love, hard work, and commitment – it is clear that the Rumpfs have not only realized their vision, they have far exceeded it.

Richard holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Concordia University’s elite John Molson School of Business (2008) and is a Certified Property Manager designated from the Institute of Real Estate Management . He also studied business at Université Paris I – Sorbonne, and attended boarding school in Switzerland. Richard pursued his EMBA at NYU.

During his studies, Richard joined his father; Prime Properties founder Karsten Rumpf, in running the day-to- day operations of the business. Since that time, Richard has modernized the company’s processes and procedures, expanded into the New York and Florida markets and significantly increased the company’s holdings. Richard currently heads Prime Properties’ real estate operations. He is responsible for providing direction on all matters of acquisitions, management and development, including leasing and financing. He is also Prime Properties representative in a number of partnerships and joint ventures.

He is fluent in English, French and German.