MIDWEST ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH SERVICES

What MIDWEST ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH SERVICES does

Midwest Archaeological Research Services (MARS) is a Crystal Lake, Illinois-based Cultural Resource Management (CRM) firm founded in 1984 by Dr. Rochelle Lurie and acquired in 2016 by the Martinez Family, with Jay Martinez serving as President/Principal Investigator and Kathleen M. Martinez as Managing Director/Chairperson. The firm conducts Section 106-compliant archaeological investigations across Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Iowa under a multi-phase service model: Phase I reconnaissance surveys to identify prehistoric or historic remains, Phase II testing to assess National Register of Historic Places eligibility, and Phase III mitigation and data recovery for significant sites, supplemented by HABS/HAER architectural surveys, public education, and genealogical/chain-of-title research. MARS has completed more than 2,000 Phase I surveys and tested over 200 sites over its 40-year operating history, drawing on the Registered Professional Archaeologist credentials of its principal investigator and State Historic Preservation Officer approvals across the four-state territory.

MARS serves a horizontally segmented client base that includes solar farm developers, wind energy developers, telecommunications carriers building cellular tower infrastructure, residential and commercial real estate developers, conservation and forest preserve districts, and state and local transportation agencies. Demand is structurally driven by federal, state, and local regulations that mandate cultural resource review prior to ground disturbance on projects receiving federal funding or requiring government permits, making the firm's revenue regulatory-event-driven rather than discretionary. The firm markets minimally, relying on its longevity, family ownership stability, and credentialed leadership to attract clients who submit requests for proposal through the company website, by phone, or by direct email; the firm commits to a 3-business-day proposal response window.

The business model is project-based professional services with no publicly disclosed pricing; engagements are quote-driven, scope-defined per project, and structured as multi-year contracts typical of infrastructure and development pipelines. MARS holds no disclosed outside funding, operates from a single Illinois location, and has not disclosed headcount. There is no evidence of AI, software, or technology productization; the core technology is the firm's accredited field methodology and the institutional site knowledge accumulated across more than two thousand Midwestern investigations, and there are no patents, trademarks, partnerships, or award recognizations disclosed. Revenue and headcount are not publicly reported.

Name

MIDWEST ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH SERVICES

Legal name

Midwest Archaeological Research Services

Website

https://midwestarch.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Midwest Archaeological Research Services is a Crystal Lake, Illinois-based Cultural Resource Management firm founded in 1984, providing Section 106-compliant archaeological surveys and excavations for solar, wind, telecom, real estate, conservation, and transportation clients in the Midwest.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Resource Management / Archaeological Services

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Historic Preservation & Conservation Planning (BPAHAKAH)

Keywords

• Cultural resource management
• Archaeological survey services
• Historic preservation consulting
• Phase I archaeological surveys
• Section 106 compliance

Headquarters

HQ city

Crystal Lake

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Archaeological Survey Services: Project-based professional services revenue generated from conducting cultural resource management surveys. Revenue is earned through fixed-price contracts for archaeological investigations mandated by federal, state, and local regulations. Services include Phase I surveys, Phase II testing, Phase III mitigation, architectural surveys, and related consulting services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Midwest Archaeological Research Services is a Cultural Resource Management firm that conducts archaeological surveys, testing, and mitigation services for clients undertaking ground-disturbing projects in the Midwest. Services follow a multi-phase model — Phase I reconnaissance surveys, Phase II National Register eligibility testing, and Phase III data recovery/mitigation — supplemented by architectural surveys (HABS/HAER), genealogical research, and public education. Clients include energy developers, telecommunications companies, real estate developers, transportation agencies, and conservation districts required to comply with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.

Product overview

Midwest Archaeological Research Services (MARS) is a Cultural Resource Management firm providing a comprehensive suite of archaeological investigation services. The company operates a multi-phase service model consisting of Phase I Reconnaissance Surveys (identifying prehistoric and historic remains), Phase II Assessment Surveys (evaluating National Register eligibility), and Phase III Mitigation Services (data recovery). Additional offerings include Architectural Surveys (HABS/HAER documentation), Public Education and Outreach, and Genealogical Research including land ownership research. MARS has completed over 2,000 archaeological investigations throughout the Midwest over 40+ years of operation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Phase I Survey Services Reconnaissance surveys conducted to identify possible prehistoric or historic remains on landscapes scheduled for modification. Includes Solar Farm Surveys, Cellular Tower Surveys, Wind Farm Surveys, Residential and Commercial Surveys, Conservation and Forest Preserve Surveys, and Roadway Surveys. MARS has completed more than 2,000 Phase I surveys.
• Phase II Testing Services Assessment surveys designed to evaluate a site's potential for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. MARS has tested over 200 prehistoric and historical sites in the Midwestern United States.
• Phase III Mitigation Services Data recovery and mitigation services for prehistoric Native American sites (camps, villages, and mortuary facilities) and nineteenth-century Euro-American sites (cabins, farmsteads, cemeteries, an 1832 fort, and a rural schoolhouse).
• Architectural Surveys (HABS / HAER) Building and structure assessment services including Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) and Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) documentation standards.
• Genealogical and Chain-of-Title Research Land ownership and chain-of-title research services supporting property history investigations for cultural resource and real estate development clients.
• Public Education and Outreach Educational services and community outreach related to archaeological findings and preservation, supporting client and stakeholder engagement on cultural resource projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2,000 Phase I surveys completed successfully
• +1 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Commonwealth Heritage Group: Mid-sized cultural resource management firm providing Phase I/II/III archaeological surveys, architectural history, and historic preservation consulting nationwide. Closest direct peer to MARS in terms of service mix and Section 106 compliance focus, but at a much larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• Cultural Resource Analysts (CRA): CRM firm offering archaeological survey, historic architecture, and cultural resource consulting across multiple U.S. regions. Direct peer because it competes for the same Section 106 compliance work on infrastructure and development projects using the same Phase I/II/III methodology.
• Gray & Pape: Cultural and environmental resource management firm providing archaeological investigations, historic architecture surveys, and Section 106 compliance services. Direct peer in the CRM niche with comparable multi-state operations and project-based professional services model.
• ASC Group: Archaeological and environmental consulting firm specializing in CRM services, NEPA compliance, and Section 106 work for transportation, energy, and development clients. Direct peer based on overlapping service lines and target customer segments.
• Brockington and Associates: Cultural resource management firm specializing in archaeology, historic architecture, and Section 106/NEPA consulting. Direct peer providing the same Phase I/II/III survey and mitigation services to overlapping developer, agency, and infrastructure clients.
• Panamerican Consultants: Cultural and environmental management firm offering archaeological surveys, architectural history, and Section 106 compliance services across the U.S. Direct peer with comparable project-based CRM service model targeting energy, transportation, and development clients.

Broad incumbents

• SWCA Environmental Consultants: Large national environmental consulting firm with a substantial cultural resources practice offering archaeological surveys, historic preservation, and regulatory compliance. Comparable because it competes for the same Section 106 work but as part of a much broader environmental services portfolio.
• TRC Companies: National engineering, environmental, and consulting firm with a cultural resources group serving energy, transportation, and development clients. Comparable to MARS through its CRM practice but operates at far greater scale and across many disciplines.
• Tetra Tech: Global consulting and engineering firm with a sizable environmental and cultural resources practice serving federal, energy, and infrastructure clients. Comparable through its CRM capabilities but competes at a much larger scale and as one practice within a multi-disciplinary portfolio.
• AECOM: Global infrastructure consulting firm with cultural and environmental resources services supporting transportation, energy, and development projects. Comparable because it offers the same Section 106 archaeological survey capabilities but as part of a much broader professional services platform.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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