Forming a dynamic part of Ireland's economy are the thousands of  graduates who, having gained invaluable experience abroad, have returned to this country. making such a vital contribution is Ranell & Associates Ltd. a vibrant successful company based in Cork, which in a short space of time has made a name for itself, around Ireland in the areas of civil engineering, demolition and surveying.
Prior to the setting up of the company, in 1996, the directors Kieran Odlum and Russell Quigley had spent a number of years abroad gaining invaluable experience in their respective capacities.
After qualifying as a civil and structural engineer, Kieran Odlum spent 10 years working, in London, for Mc Gee Demolition, a leading company in the areas of Civil Engineering, Surveying and Demolition. During his time there, he managed various multi million pound contracts. Notable among these projects was; the Blackfriars Development in Central London, the implementation of facade retention systems to the old Russian and Czech. embassies at Kensington Palace Gardens, the demolition, retention and underground works for the capping beam inspections after the terrorist explosions at the Baltic Exchange and the surveying at Heathrow Airport prior to the demolition of the old terminal, utilising retention systems while keeping the airport fully operational. In the latter part of his career in England, Kieran progressed to a position in senior management playing a large part in the preparation of tenders and the pricing of contracts. It was around this time, too, that safety and environmental issues were very much to the fore and Kieran was very much involved in the design and implementation of the site safety systems and procedures.
Kieran Odlum's next step to advance his career was a move to the United States where he worked for the third largest civil engineering contractor in Washington State, Foushee & Associates. During his five years there, he was involved in site surveys, site control, the layout and project management of multi-million dollar developments including shopping malls. Kieran also made a name for himself on a more academic level and during his time in Washington State he lectured in Surveying Methods and Advanced Mathematics to senior management and site personnel in various companies. This hands on communication was a new concept to the students and its benefits have since been rewarded.
It was during Kieran's time at Foushee that the geneses of Ranell unfolded when he met with another Corkonian, Russell Quigley. Russell, a qualified surveyor had been working for Ostergard Robinson & Associates, a previous employer of Kieran's. He had been involved in all aspects of of field surveying including topographical surveying, clearing limits, site control, staking, grading storm, foul and roads, site layouts and as building surveys. Not long afterwards Kieran decided that the combined wealth of experience and expertise of both himself and Russell could be put to good benefit in Ireland. And so it was that Ranell was established in 1996 in Cork with a remit to offer civil engineering, demolition and surveying services quickly and efficiently at competitive prices.
Within a short period of setting up, Ranell & Associates gained a reputation for excellent work and within a year after set up have an impressive portfolio of projects under its belt. These include complex and detailed operations such as the surveying of the main drainage systems in Cork, Waterford and Limerick along with the survey of the entire Huntsman Dioxide plant in Hartlepool,  another source of survey work at a chemical plant in which 3D modelling was extensively used. 
A Large portion of Ranell's business is in Land Surveying for  development and evaluation purposes. Such is the reputation of the practice in this particular field, that a significant proportion of regional estate agents, solicitors and banks use its services.
While the early days of the practice have focused more on building up the land surveying side of the business, Ranell & Associates have more ambitious plans. Now that the latter service has been established, the practice will be targeting civil engineering and demolition business more than previously. Because Ranell has already built up a name for accurate and efficient work among developers, Ranell's plans  for expanding will no doubt materialise sooner rather than later.
The vast experience and expertise of the directors, Kieran Odlum and Russell Quigley explains for the most part, the fast growth in reputation of Ranell & Associates. However, akin to its inherent expertise are the practice's core values of hard work, honesty, competitive pricing and dedication to meeting deadlines. For a company that begun on a shoestring budget, the practice must be lauded as an outstanding example of what experience, motivation and hard work can achieve.

(New Property Business Times)