Kuster Gärten AG
Kuster Gärten AG is a 110+ year-old Swiss garden design, construction, and recurring maintenance firm headquartered in Mühleberg, serving private residential, public-sector, healthcare, and commercial clients across the Bern region with in-house horticultural teams and drone-assisted surveying.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1911
- HeadquartersMühleberg, Switzerland
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Kuster Gärten AG does
Kuster Gärten AG is a privately held Swiss garden design, construction, and maintenance firm headquartered in Mühleberg, in the canton of Berne. Founded in 1911 as a greenhouse business by Rudolf Kuster and operated by the Kuster family across three generations, the company has been owned and managed since 2010 by Simon and Martina Hugi, who acquired full ownership in 2012. The firm operates across three integrated service pillars: Gartengestaltung (garden design and construction), Gartenpflege (recurring garden maintenance), and Gartenberatung (consulting). Customer segments include private residential homeowners (largely via maintenance subscriptions), public institutions (schools, government buildings, cemeteries), healthcare facilities (Inselspital Bern, Bürgerspital Solothurn, Schlössli Biel), and commercial enterprises (Bundeshaus Bern, SBB headquarters, BAUHAUS Belp).
The core technology stack centers on horticultural and landscape-architecture expertise rather than software, but the firm has invested in modern measurement tooling including a DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise RTK drone integrated with Pix4D photogrammetry software for centimeter-accurate orthophotos, digital terrain models, and inventory capture. Garden construction capabilities span pavements, walls, steel elements, wooden structures, water and fire features, and playground installations. Maintenance is delivered through dedicated Kundengärtner (customer-gardener) teams offering subscriptions covering mowing, fertilization, seasonal pruning, tree care, cemetery maintenance, plant protection (with biological methods prioritized), and vacation coverage. The firm is certified as a Saibro Festkies installer and holds the TOP Ausbildungsbetrieb Stufe 3 designation, the highest Swiss training-company tier.
Revenue is generated via quote-based professional services for design and construction projects (multi-year contracts typical) and recurring subscriptions for garden maintenance. All services are delivered in-house by the firm's own field teams, with no resellers or franchise channel. Go-to-market combines direct consumer services, sales-led consultation at customer sites, a physical show garden (Schaugarten) at the Mühleberg headquarters used as a mid-funnel demonstration space, content marketing through the company website and newsletter, and Google Ads. Geographic focus is the Bern region and surrounding municipalities; the firm has no global footprint and does not pursue export activities.
Kuster Gärten AG firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kuster Gärten AG
- Legal name
- Kuster Gärten AG
- Website
- https://kuster-gaerten.ch
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1911
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Kuster Gärten AG is a 110+ year-old Swiss garden design, construction, and recurring maintenance firm headquartered in Mühleberg, serving private residential, public-sector, healthcare, and commercial clients across the Bern region with in-house horticultural teams and drone-assisted surveying.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kuster Gärten AG industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Landscape and Garden Services
- NAICS
- Landscaping Services (561730), Landscape Architectural Services (54132)
- SIC
- Agricultural Services (700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Residential Landscaping & Lawn Care (BPABADAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Seasonal Color & Flower Rotation (Spring/Fall Plantings) (HSAIAFAE), Sod Installation & Lawn Seeding (Turf Establishment) (HSAIAFAO), Tree & Shrub Fertilization & Plant Health Care (PHC) (HSAIAGAG), Aeration & Overseeding (Seeding, Topdressing, Renovation) (HSAIAGAD)
Keywords
Where Kuster Gärten AG is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Mühleberg
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Kuster Gärten AG business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Garden Design and Construction: Complete garden design, planning, and construction services including new installations, renovations, complex garden modifications, pavements, walls, water features, fire features, wooden structures, and play equipment.
- Garden Maintenance Services: Recurring garden maintenance subscriptions including lawn care, meadow maintenance, bed maintenance, hedge and summer pruning, winter pruning, tree care, cemetery maintenance, biodiversity promotion, plant protection and strengthening, and holiday coverage services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom quote-based pricing for garden planning and design services |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
Kuster Gärten AG product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kuster Gärten AG provides end-to-end garden services including garden design and construction (surfaces, plantings, walls, steel, wood, water and fire features, playground equipment), comprehensive garden maintenance (lawn care, pruning, tree care, cemetery care, biodiversity promotion), and professional garden consulting with sketches, creative plans, and detailed quotations. Services cover both new installations and renovations and are delivered by in-house teams to residential, institutional, and public-sector clients in the Bern region of Switzerland.
Product overview
Kuster Gärten AG offers a comprehensive portfolio of garden services centered on three core pillars: Gartengestaltung (garden design and construction), Gartenpflege (garden maintenance), and Gartenberatung (garden consultation). The company specializes in complex garden renovations and new garden creations using diverse materials including surfaces, plantings, walls, steel elements, wood structures, water features, and fire features. The product portfolio encompasses both design/construction services (Gartengestaltung) and ongoing maintenance offerings (Gartenpflege) including lawn care, pruning, tree care, and cemetery maintenance. Supporting services include drone-based surveying technology for precision site analysis, eco-friendly weed control, vacation coverage, and specialized cemetery maintenance across multiple municipalities. The company has also expanded into sustainable technology with drone surveying capabilities and organic plant protection services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Gartengestaltung (Garden Design and Construction) End-to-end garden design and construction service including surfaces, plantings, walls, steel elements, wood structures, water features, fire features, playground equipment, and accessories. Specializes in complex new installations and renovations for residential, public-sector, and commercial clients.
Quantifiable outcome
- Drones enable centimeter-accurate surveying for precise garden planning
Companies that use Kuster Gärten AG
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Kuster Gärten AG technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Kuster Gärten AG partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- FlammkraftcoreDesign grill manufacturer. Kuster Gärten displays Flammkraft Block C and D design grills in their show garden. Customers can view the grills and receive non-binding quotes through Kuster Gärten for these premium design grills.
- Edith AndereggcoreGarden furniture supplier representing Fermob brand. Offers colorful garden furniture and wonderful garden accessories. Products displayed in Kuster Gärten's show garden where customers can be inspired by a coherently furnished garden oasis.
- FeuerringcoreFire bowl and fire object manufacturer known for unique design. Elegant rusted bowls with massive deep-black burned rings. Feuerrings are design elements that combine aesthetics and cooking. Two units displayed in the show garden.
- Saibro FestkiescoreHomogeneous, sealed, water-permeable surface made of solid gravel. Combines load-bearing capacity of concrete surfaces with porosity and aesthetics of gravel surfaces. Kuster Gärten is a certified company authorized to install this versatile surface.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Kuster Gärten AG competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Stihl: Global manufacturer of outdoor power equipment supplied to landscaping professionals. Comparable to Kuster Gärten AG's operational ecosystem as a key equipment supplier, though not a competitor.
- Jardin Suisse: Swiss professional association for horticulture and landscape gardening. Comparable as the industry body governing the certifications (e.g., TOP Ausbildungsbetrieb) that Kuster Gärten AG holds, and an ecosystem reference point rather than a competitor.
Broad incumbents
- Husqvarna Group: Global outdoor power equipment and robotic mowing company serving landscaping professionals. Comparable as a broader incumbent in the green-services ecosystem where Kuster Gärten AG operates, though it is a supplier rather than direct competitor.
- TruGreen: Largest US lawn care subscription services company. Relevant as a comparable for the recurring maintenance subscription model (Unterhaltsabonnement) that Kuster Gärten AG offers to residential clients, though at vastly different scale and geography.
- ID Verde: Largest European landscape services provider operating across multiple countries. Relevant as a scaled-incumbent comparable for understanding unit economics and pricing dynamics in European landscape services, though it operates at much greater scale than Kuster Gärten AG.
- BrightView Landscapes: Largest US commercial landscaping services firm. Useful as a public-market comparable for the maintenance-anchored business model that Kuster Gärten AG is building, even though geography and customer mix differ.
Direct peers
- Gebrüder Lüthi Gartenbau: Established Swiss regional garden design and maintenance firm. Comparable to Kuster Gärten AG in service portfolio (design, construction, maintenance) and focus on residential and institutional clients in the German-speaking Swiss market.
- Eberhard Gartenbau: Swiss landscape construction and maintenance company serving Bern and central Switzerland. Directly comparable to Kuster Gärten AG on regional Swiss focus, full-service garden design, and recurring maintenance offerings.
- Ruppert Garten- und Landschaftsbau: German regional landscape construction and maintenance firm of comparable scale, offering design, construction, and recurring garden care services. Comparable to Kuster Gärten AG in service mix (Gartengestaltung + Gartenpflege) and small-to-mid market positioning.
Emerging players
- SavATree: US-focused tree care and eco-friendly landscape services firm with a strong sustainability and arboriculture positioning. Comparable to Kuster Gärten AG's tree care and biodiversity-focused service line, particularly the Saibro-certified and biological plant protection offerings.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Kuster Gärten AG social profiles
Digital presenceKuster Gärten AG compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Kuster Gärten AG financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kuster Gärten AG leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Kuster Gärten AG funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kuster Gärten AG M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Kuster Gärten AG
What does Kuster Gärten AG do?
Kuster Gärten AG provides end-to-end garden services including garden design and construction (surfaces, plantings, walls, steel, wood, water and fire features, playground equipment), comprehensive garden maintenance (lawn care, pruning, tree care, cemetery care, biodiversity promotion), and professional garden consulting with sketches, creative plans, and detailed quotations. Services cover both new installations and renovations and are delivered by in-house teams to residential, institutional, and public-sector clients in the Bern region of Switzerland.
Is Kuster Gärten AG a public or private company?
Kuster Gärten AG is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Kuster Gärten AG founded?
Kuster Gärten AG was founded in 1911. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Kuster Gärten AG based?
Kuster Gärten AG is headquartered in Mühleberg, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does Kuster Gärten AG make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Garden Design and Construction is the primary driver. The others are garden Maintenance Services.
Who are Kuster Gärten AG's main competitors?
Others on record are Stihl and Jardin Suisse. Broad incumbents are Husqvarna Group, TruGreen, ID Verde and BrightView Landscapes. Direct peers are Gebrüder Lüthi Gartenbau, Eberhard Gartenbau and Ruppert Garten- und Landschaftsbau. SavATree is listed as an emerging player.
Does Kuster Gärten AG have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kuster Gärten AG.
What industry is Kuster Gärten AG in?
Kuster Gärten AG's product category is Landscape and Garden Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPABADAB, Residential Landscaping & Lawn Care, with a secondary code of HSAIAFAE, Seasonal Color & Flower Rotation (Spring/Fall Plantings). Its NAICS code is 561730 and its SIC code is 700.