The McDowell Agency

Name

The McDowell Agency

Legal name

The McDowell Agency, Inc.

Website

https://mcdowellagency.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The McDowell Agency is a licensed private investigation firm founded in 1984 and based in St. Paul, Minnesota, providing background investigation, pre-employment screening, and drug testing services to employer clients across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Background Investigation and Pre-Employment Screening Services

NAICS

Investigation and Personal Background Check Services (561611)

SIC

Services-Detective, Guard & Armored Car Services (7381)

akta.pro primary industry

Investigations & Background Screening Services (IMAIAEAK)

Keywords

• Background investigation services
• Pre-employment screening
• Licensed private investigation
• Drug testing services
• Employment verification

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Paul

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Background Investigation & Screening Services: The company generates revenue through providing background investigation and pre-employment screening services to clients. Services include drug testing and comprehensive background checks. The revenue model appears to be transaction-based, charging per screening or investigation performed.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The McDowell Agency is a licensed private investigation firm that provides background investigation and pre-employment screening services to employers and organizations. Its offering includes comprehensive background checks, drug testing, and candidate verification conducted by licensed investigators under FCRA-compliant processes, accessed by clients through a secure E-Screening portal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Background Investigation Services Licensed private investigation services focused on thorough background investigations conducted by licensed investigators for employers and organizations.
• Pre-Employment Screening Services Comprehensive screening services for employers to verify candidate backgrounds, credentials, and histories prior to hiring decisions, supporting FCRA-compliant hiring.
• Drug Testing Drug testing services offered as part of the screening portfolio for employers conducting pre-employment and ongoing workforce screening.
• E-Screening Portal Secure online client portal that enables employer clients to access and manage employment screening processes and screening results.

Quantifiable outcome

• Client retention rate exceeds 98%

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Broad incumbents

• ADP Screening and Selection Services: ADP offers background screening and talent acquisition solutions as part of its broader HR/payroll platform, competing with McDowell for the same employer buyers via a bundled, technology-led delivery model.
• Pinkerton: Pinkerton is a broad security and investigations services firm offering background screening as part of a wider corporate security, risk management, and protective services portfolio — overlapping with McDowell in private investigation roots and licensed investigator capability.
• Kroll: Kroll is a global investigations, due diligence, and risk consulting firm with background screening and pre-employment vetting services, representing a broader incumbent in the licensed investigation space McDowell operates in.

Direct peers

• Checkr: Checkr is a tech-enabled, API-first background screening platform serving employers and gig-economy companies, representing the modern, technology-led version of the same service McDowell provides.
• Accurate Background: Accurate Background offers employment background screening and verifications to employers of all sizes, providing similar services to McDowell with a more developed technology and customer self-service experience.
• First Advantage: First Advantage is a global background screening, identity, and verification provider serving employers, directly comparable in product scope to McDowell but operating at enterprise scale across multiple geographies.
• InfoMart: InfoMart is a background screening provider focused on employment screening, identity verification, and drug testing — closely aligned with McDowell's service portfolio and customer base, with a similar mid-market orientation.
• Cisive: Cisive provides pre-employment background screening, drug testing, and workforce compliance solutions to employers, making it a direct competitor in the same SMB-to-enterprise screening market McDowell serves.
• Sterling: Sterling is a large, established background screening provider offering pre-employment background checks, drug testing, and identity services — directly comparable to McDowell's core offerings but at significantly greater national scale.
• HireRight: HireRight provides employment background checks, drug and health screening, and workforce solutions globally, competing for the same employer customer base as McDowell with a more extensive geographic and product footprint.

Market position

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The McDowell Agency