Cultural Resources Management: A $1 Billion Industry

Cultural Heritage Partners recently conducted a survey to gauge the size and scope of the cultural resources management industry, in partnership with the American Cultural Resources Association (ACRA).

More than 220 cultural resource management firms completed the survey, which revealed:

* There are approximately 1,300 CRM firms nationwide.

* These firms employ some 10,000 CRM professionals: archaeologists, architectural historians, historians, and architects. These professionals generate work for an increasingly diverse group of other specialists and support staff, including engineers, planners, environmental scientists, cartographers and geographic information systems (GIS) specialists, information technology professionals, graphic artists, writers/editors, word processors/layout specialists, human resource professionals, accountants, and other administrative staff.

* These firms generated over $1 billion in revenue in calendar year 2012.

Cultural Heritage Partners is working with ACRA to mount an unprecedented outreach initiative to educate Congress about the industry’s effective and vital role in the national historic preservation program, and sharing this data is an important aspect of our efforts. The survey results are included on a new government affairs handout for Members of Congress.

ACRA’s annual conference will take place this October in Washington, when CRM professionals will make more than 300 visits to legislators and host a Congressional reception in the Rayburn Building on Capitol Hill.