UK Enterprise 2017

WORLDWIDE BUSINESS REVIEW / UK Enterprise Awards 2017 25 , Best Archaeological & Heritage Services Provider 2017 & Excellence Award for Sustainable Development 2017 Archaeological Research Services Ltd (ARS Ltd) is a leading provider of archaeological consultancy and contracting services in the UK. We spoke to RobinHolgate to learnmore about the firm. costs for the client and also allows projects to be completed more quickly as the focus is on getting the job completed. It also provides greater transparency and therefore it is easier for our clients to deal with us as we can give a whole-project perspective as we do not rely on third parties. In addition, our professional and well-trained staff offer a fresh and polite service which ensures that we interface well with our clients, gain a full understanding of their needs and deliver in tandem with their time-scales and project goals. We are also pro-active in offering advice on how archaeological and heritage components can be used to add value to projects.” As is the case in many markets, staff are crucial to success, therefore ARS Ltd is dedicated to attracting the very best talent on the market, as Robin explains. “A significant issue in the UK heritage sector is a growing shortage of archaeologists to work on development sites. As significant infrastructure projects kick in this problem is only going to get worse. Therefore, it is crucial that developers engage archaeological support at the earliest opportunity and find the company they want to work with as quickly as possible before they get committed to other projects. At ARS Ltd we are pro-active with our recruitment and target not just university graduates but talent from other allied sectors where an individual may want to change direction. This has allowed us to lever excellence and professionalism from other industries into our company giving us an outward-looking perspective and a greater appreciation of different sectors of industry.” Looking ahead, Robin foresees a great deal of growth in ARS Ltd’s sector which the firm is keen to capitalise on. “Within the wider archelogy market, we anticipate continued growth in the construction and minerals sectors over the next few years regardless of the Brexit negotiations. We have confidence in the UK market and we are geared for growth and delivery as construction and minerals continue to pick up. “As such, we will continue to grow the company and have an ambitious growth plan for the next five years. We are expanding our client base and developing new strategic partnerships whilst also cementing long- term relationships to continue strengthening our client base. We are also developing our existing staff, supply chain and recruitment strategy to ensure continuous success and quality performance as we grow.” ARS Ltd are a well-established company with a strong reputation for delivering quality, value-added outcomes for their clients. Robin discusses the firm’s service offering in more detail. “Here at ARS Ltd, although we undertake jobs of all sizes our strengths come into particular play with large projects such as minerals operations, housing schemes, infrastructure, utilities and transport. We have multiple offices and a nationwide reach which means we can pool expertise to ensure all projects, no matter where they are located, benefit from the same high standards, specialist input and quality assurance for which we are known. “Thanks to our dedication to excellence we have won a variety of awards over the years but winning this award for sustainable development is something that gives us a real sense of pride and success. This award recognises all the work we have done with our clients to ensure local communities affected by new development benefit from, and have had the opportunity to participate in, the archaeological discoveries and making this information available to the wider public. By involving hundreds of school children, local volunteers, students and community groups each year we feel we have earnt this award through years of commitment and working closely with our commercial clients to foster enduring public benefits. “Fundamentally, our mission is to ensure that the quality services we provide to our clients ultimately result in public benefit for current and future generations. We aim to achieve this through regular review of our management methods, our project outputs and the degree to which our clients recognise the value in the archaeological works that they commission. This involves putting a focus on good communications and making information and participation opportunities available to local communities, as well as making the most of the internet to make information available free of charge to a wide audience.” What sets the firm apart, as Robin explains, is its dedication to providing a full range of services which meet its clients’ individual needs. “Most archaeological and heritage providers fall into one of two camps: they are either consultants or contractors. At ARS Ltd we provide both consultancy and contracting services so as to provide an end to end service that is fully integrated. This saves WUK17021