Randall Plant: Festival of Archaeology Digital Sponsor

We are Randall Plant, the digital sponsor of the Festival of Archaeology. 

Who is Randall Plant, and what do you do?

We're basically a one-stop shop for archaeological site support. So that covers anything from plant hire and operated machinery, through to logistics, groundworks, supplying labour and site managers, welfare, fencing, traffic management - full site set ups. It's all about making life easier for the teams on site and keeping things running smoothly.

How is your work connected to archaeology?

We work with archaeologists on sites all the time. A lot of the work involves carefully stripping back layers so they can see what's underneath, so it's got to be done really precisely. Our operators are used to that kind of work - it's a lot slower and more controlled than people might expect.

What led you to support the Festival as Digital Sponsor?

Archaeology's a big part of what we do day-to-day, so it just made sense for us to support it. We see the work that goes into it, and how important it is, so being part of the festival is a nice way to support that and hopefully get more people interested in it as well.

Why do archaeology and construction matter to each other?

I think people often see them as separate, but they're actually really closely linked. Before anything gets built, there's usually some kind of archaeological work that needs to happen first. It's about making sure we don't lose important history while we're building new things - so the two really have to work together.

What does a typical day look like for your team when working alongside archaeologists on site?

Every day we arrive on site with the mindset that we are here to help the client and see them as the customer we serve. It's our job to be helpful, respectful and have dignity in the workplace so everyone feels valued for the job they do and make the archaeologist feel supported in any aspects we can help them with. 

We challenge ourselves to keep the work on track and in a safe working environment for looking after each other. It's important for us that we see risks and solve problems being proactive and not reactive with forward planning, constant review of the work and give feedback to the client so as to facilitate a good working relationship across all spans of control. Everyone's opinion is valued and we get satisfaction from completing a good job that's timely and leave the work environment as safe and clean as we found it.