14-07-2025
- Business
- Business Journals
How one engineer built her Maplewood-based firm with family and diversity at the forefront
Lusnail Haberberger remembers what it was like being a brand new engineer. After graduating from the master's program at California State University in Los Angeles, Haberberger, a native of Caracas, Venezuela, was eager to apply her knowledge in the workforce and begin her career in electrical engineering — a passion she'd had for as long as she could remember. She earned excellent grades throughout her undergraduate and graduate careers and was as well-versed in her field as any of her cohorts. And yet, she couldn't find a job.
'I interviewed over 35 times, and nobody would give me a chance,' Haberberger recalls. 'Granted, it was 2008 and the economy was down, but I'd graduated with honors. Interview after interview, nobody would give me a chance. I attribute some of it to the fact that I required H-1B visa sponsorship, but I also think it was my accent. It was hard for people to get past. That's why I don't mind if someone has a heavy accent. If they spend time with us here, that will improve. Besides, it's easier for us to teach someone English than to teach them how to do electrical design.'
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Photo by Michael Thomas for Greater St. Louis, Inc.
Today, as founder and chief executive officer of the engineering consulting firm LUZCO Technologies, Haberberger now finds herself in a position where she is able to draft her own hiring priorities. Founded in 2017, the boutique firm has quickly become a major player in the electrical engineering industry, working hand-in-hand with major electrical providers to design and implement the systems that power communities. In less than a decade, LUZCO has grown from just a handful of employees to a staff of 122 and is known for delivering excellent results for its clients.
Haberberger attributes LUZCO's success to the high-quality technical work her team produces, but in her experience, that cannot be separated from the company's core values: 'familia, diversity, and leadership.' Much more than a mission statement, Haberberger and her team live these values in everything they do, creating an environment in which each person feels heard, empowered, and encouraged to find balance in their work and professional lives. The firm's commitment to its employees has earned LUZCO a spot on the St. Louis Business Journal's 2025 'Best Places to Work' list and also won the publication's community impact award.
While Haberberger believes in the company's core values as a matter of principle, she and her team also see them as differentiating LUZCO from other electrical engineering firms.
'There are 256 firms in the U.S. that do what we do, so it's very competitive,' Haberberger says. 'One of the things we say to our clients is that we are unique and differentiated by our culture, which comes out of our core values. We care so much — every single employee takes such pride in their work, and they know how it impacts their community and family members. This translates into quality and engagement for our clients.'
One of those clients, Ameren Missouri, works with LUZCO on a range of projects, including engineering design, project management, and voltage optimization, which is employed to improve electrical grid efficiency and reliability. Haberberger sees Ameren as a natural partner for both LUZCO's work and its mission because of how, in her experience, the company has championed the St. Louis community.
Ameren is one of the reasons Haberberger says that LUZCO could not have happened anywhere other than St. Louis. The other reason is how supportive the community's innovation and entrepreneurship support ecosystems are across industries. It's something she noticed immediately upon moving to town from Rochester, New York, when she was in the beginning stages of launching LUZCO.
She credits this environment and support system with helping her grow LUZCO and she is especially grateful to the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro St. Louis for their help. With the Hispanic Chamber's encouragement, Haberberger was part of the initial cohort of St. Louis Business Diversity Connect's 'Pitch STL,' a program that helps entrepreneurs perfect their business pitches and develop sales acumen. Haberberger won the competition and used the seed money to invest in LUZCO.
'Would LUZCO have happened anywhere else? I don't think so,' Haberberger says. 'I was lucky that I was in the right place at the right time, somewhere that everyone is truly and genuinely willing to help. Everyone is willing to introduce you to others or connect you with the right networks. I haven't experienced that anywhere else I've lived. It's very unique to St. Louis.'
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