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Headland is leaving no stone unturned
06 September 2009 By Carol Hayes
Archaeology might be seen as a slow and methodical business, but Colm Moloney has overseen rapid growth as managing director of Headland Archaeology (Ireland).
The firm was founded in Scotland in 1996, and set up in Ireland five years later to work with developers and government agencies on major infrastructure projects. It now has more than 80 staff across Britain and Ireland, and had revenues of more than £12million last year.
Moloney graduated from University College Cork in 1988 with a BA in Greek and Roman civilisation and archaeology. After college, he emigrated to Britain where he worked as a labourer in London before finding employment as an archaeologist.
‘‘I landed a job as a field archaeologist in Dunbar in Scotland, working on a headland which had been fortified for 2,000 years. ‘‘The archaeology was fantastic and I was completely hooked on the job," said Moloney. ‘‘From there, I drifted about England, Scotland and France for a couple of years building up experience excavating different types of archaeology."
In the early 1990s,Moloney worked for commercial archaeology companies in Britain, moving up the ladder into supervisory roles before deciding to set up his own business. Around the same time, a group of former colleagues formed Headland Archaeology in Edinburgh.
‘‘Following a conversation about a collaborative effort on a quarry project, I threw my hat in with the lads and became a partner in Headland Archaeology," said Moloney. ‘‘The company was designed to balance the needs of archaeology with the commercial requirements of our clients - a cultural/ commercial balance that we still maintain today."
In 2001,Moloney and his codirectors recognised an opportunity to expand into Ireland on the back of the infrastructure development involved in the National Development Plan. As the only Irish board member, Moloney took responsibility for the Irish expansion.
The Irish division now has offices in Cork and Galway, and also meets customers in Dublin and Belfast. It had turnover of £5.9 million (€6.75 million) last year, while the company’s British operation had turnover of £6.4 million. ’‘We have been heavily involved in infrastructure development and continue to work with the NRA and RPA," said Moloney. ‘‘We also have worked with construction companies, notably housing, but as the downturn has decimated this sector, we have diversified into other areas - with the result that elements of the business are growing."
The growth areas include the energy sector, where the firm is involved in preparing specialist contributions to environmental impact statements for wind farm developments. It also provides services to government agencies on heritage sites around the country. Moloney believes the recession has created new markets and it’s the ideal time to revamp your business. ‘‘The clever thing is to identify what that new market is and what form your business needs to take to adapt to the new commercial realities," said Moloney.
‘‘After that, it is simply a case of restructuring, looking hard at your costs and working your ass off."
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