Brooklyn's Progress
April/May 2006

In the New York metropolitan area the landscape contracting business is a male-dominated industry. So, when Carmen DeVito and Alice Marcus Krieg started Groundworks, Inc. in 2001, they were definitely in the minority, yet they weren’t afraid to get their hands dirty. Since then, their quality work, business savvy and determination has turned a part-time garden design start-up into a burgeoning garden design and landscaping business with clients sprouting up from Brooklyn to Westchester.

Based in Gravesend, Brooklyn, Groundworks began two days after 9/11 with one client, $700 and a passion for plants. With more than 25 years of combined experience in the gardening industry, Ms. Krieg, Groundworks’ President and Ms. DeVito, the company’s Vice President, created a business model that blends good horticulture, smart design and personalized service.

“Through client referrals, and involvement in local business membership organizations such as the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, our company revenues grow an average of 30 percent per year,” stated Ms. DeVito.

Groundworks Inc. designs, builds and maintains landscapes for both residential and commercial clients, including top New York architects, developers, and non-profits. They also have appeared as designers on HGTV’s Landscapers’ Challenge.

“We are knowledgeable about garden trends and are always looking for unique and innovative ways to enhance our clients’ outdoor spaces and quality of life,” stated Ms. Krieg.

To contact GroundWorks Inc., visit the company’s Web site at http://www.groundworkdgardens.com/ or call 718-265-2268.