— ESTABLISHED 2000—
GroundWorks is a Baton Rouge-based commercial Landscaping Management company serving the southern half of Louisiana with a fleet of 30 trucks and a team of approximately 100 employees. Founded by Austrian-born Richard Netzberger, the company offers full services from landscape architectural drawings to implementation and maintenance.
FROM AUSTRIA TO BATON ROUGE, BY WAY OF THE WORLD’S FAIR
“I was born in Austria, where I grew up in a small Village close to the family dairy farm and later pursued a career in music. In 1984, my band was invited to represent German and Austrian heritage at the New Orleans World’s Fair. On opening day, among 100,000 people, I met Brenda, the woman who would change the course of my life. After exploring Europe, getting married in Austria and now three years later, it was time to let the band know that we were moving to the United States and making BR our home.”
HOW GROUNDWORKS GOT ITS START
“During my time working for the State of Louisiana, our elderly neighbor had a medical procedure and asked me to help keep up his yard while he recovered. What began as a small favor gradually evolved into GroundWorks as we know it today.”
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- GroundWorks owner Richard Netzberger, right, with his longtime client, FMOL Health System President and CEO E.J. Kuiper (Photo by Don Kadair)
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- GroundWorks landscaping client Our Lady of the Lake
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- GroundWorks landscaping client the Louisiana Old State Capitol building and front lawn
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- Groundowrks landscaping client Perkins Rowe
THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT BUILT THE BUSINESS
“Two relationships shaped GroundWorks into the company it is today. Neill Corporation became an early cornerstone — its founder, Edwin Neill, pushed me to prove what I was capable of without ever having to say it out loud. I worked harder for him simply because I wanted to prove myself to him. Then in 2013, an unexpected call from the plant services director at Our Lady of the Lake opened a door I didn’t fully understand at the time. Thirteen years later, that relationship has grown into a system-wide contract with FMOL Health reaching as far as Jackson, Mississippi.”
PEOPLE ARE THE PRODUCT
“I operate by a simple rule: fulfilled, motivated employees build great companies, whereas a toxic environment does the exact opposite. Creating an organization that genuinely cares for its people has always been a priority for me.”
A TESTAMENT TO THIS COUNTRY
“Coming to this country with much of nothing — but having the opportunity to do whatever you set your mind to and become successful — is a testament to the United States. It is still the best country in the world, and I am very grateful for it.”
OUR LEGACY: Transforming outdoors, enriching lives.
5236 KINCAID AVE, BATON ROUGE 70805 | (225) 383-2660 | GROUNDWORKSLA.COM
