Richmonder Rusty Field envisioned a customer-centered company that prioritizes lasting, meaningful relationships over the bottom line when he and his partners founded ONE Environmental Group, LLC in 2009.

“What started as a crazy idea in the midst of a recession has grown from a few people to over 25 team members with offices across four states,” he says. “Most startups don’t make it past five years, and here we are, which is pretty amazing. I attribute our success to an awesome team and a great strategy.”

Serving clients’ needs trumps metrics and bureaucracy, a point of pride for Rusty.

“That allows us to stay focused on what is important — working with clients to gain their trust, having fun, and not being caught up in some big corporate business model,” he says.       

The Virginia Tech graduate never wanted to sit in a cubicle wearing a suit and tie. He favors flip flops, jeans and being outdoors, where the professional engineer is driven to do his part to sustain the environment.  “It is not always glamorous, but I am proud of the work we do and continually impressed by our clients’ efforts to improve the environment.”

Rusty and his wife, Katherine, sweethearts from Midlothian High, live in rural Powhatan County with daughters Kaileigh and Aubrie and their two dogs, Chase and Charlie.

The parents spend the bulk of their free time supporting Aubrie in competitive dance and Kaileigh, an active soccer player and horseback rider.