Your business is built on trust. Verify it.
When inventory disappears, books don’t reconcile, or a key employee starts behaving differently, the cost of waiting is higher than the cost of investigating. We document the loss — quietly, lawfully, and in a format your legal and HR teams can act on.
Strategic corporate intelligence from the only MBA-led PI firm in South Carolina.
The losses that don’t show on a balance sheet — until it’s too late.
By the time inventory shrinkage, payroll fraud, or IP theft shows up in your numbers, the damage compounds — and the evidence has often been destroyed.
Most business-owner clients call us when they’ve already noticed something: an employee whose hours don’t match their work, a vendor whose invoices keep growing, a partner whose books don’t reconcile. By then, every week of delay means another week the subject can refine the scheme — or destroy the trail.
Stillinger’s corporate investigators move fast. Most engagements begin within 24–48 hours of intake, and our reports are designed to be acted on the same week — for termination, civil recovery, criminal referral, or insurance claim support.
Eight categories of investigation SC businesses hire us for.
Employee Theft & Internal Fraud
Inventory shrinkage, cash discrepancies, time theft, merchandise diversion. Covert surveillance and undercover operations. Evidence packages built for termination, civil recovery, or prosecution.
Workers’ Comp Fraud
Covert HD video surveillance documenting claimant activity inconsistent with reported injury. Activity checks, social media verification, timeline reconstruction for SC Workers’ Comp Commission hearings.
Due Diligence
Pre-acquisition, pre-partnership, and pre-investment investigation. Financial history, litigation history, regulatory issues, reputation research — what’s missing from public records.
IP & Trade-Secret Theft
Document misappropriation, trade-secret theft, competitor collusion, departing-employee data exfiltration. Combined surveillance and digital forensics response.
Threat Assessments
Evaluate threats from terminated employees, disgruntled customers, or stalking incidents at the workplace. Behavioral assessment plus surveillance to establish risk and document patterns.
Pre-Employment Background
Deep background checks for executive hires, partner verification, and sensitive positions. Goes far beyond what online services deliver — verified employment, education, criminal, civil, and reputation research.
Asset & Judgment Recovery
Hidden asset searches for civil recovery, judgment enforcement, and divorce-related business valuations. Real estate, vehicles, business interests, and financial accounts where lawfully accessible.
Loss Prevention & CCTV
Loss prevention training, CCTV consultation and installation, hostile-termination support, and outside-sales activity verification for SC retail and service operations.
Four phases. Reports your team can act on.
Strategy & Scope
Confidential intake with a senior investigator. We map the suspected behavior, identify what’s lawfully documentable, and quote a fixed retainer.
Within 24 hoursCovert Investigation
Surveillance, undercover operations, digital forensics — coordinated to gather evidence without compromising the workplace.
Discreet · LawfulEvidence Compilation
Timestamped, GPS-verified evidence package. Chain-of-custody preserved for civil court, criminal prosecution, or SC Workers’ Comp use.
Court-readyReporting & Action
Professional written report and full media delivered to you and your counsel. Expert testimony available in SC Circuit and federal court.
Same-week deliverableWhy SC businesses trust us.
Brian Stillinger, founder and CEO, holds an MBA from the University of Maryland and a B.S. in Criminal Justice from the University of South Carolina. Brian served as a U.S. Marine Military Security Specialist (Presidential Security Detail, 1989–1997) before founding Stillinger Investigations.
Our team of 12 full-time SLED-licensed investigators brings backgrounds in law enforcement, military intelligence, and certified digital forensics. We’re trusted by South Carolina family-law attorneys, insurance carriers, and corporate clients statewide.
- SLED License #1586 — verified at SLED PI & Security Licensing
- 12 full-time licensed investigators — not freelancers
- 125+ years combined investigative experience
- Licensed in South Carolina, North Carolina & Georgia
- Court-qualified expert witness testimony
- In-house Certified Forensic Computer Examiner (CFCE)
Corporate investigation FAQ.
How much does a corporate investigation cost?
Costs vary widely by case complexity. Workers’ comp surveillance typically runs $1,500–$5,000. Employee theft investigations and due diligence range $2,000–$10,000+ depending on scope. We provide a fixed quote upfront based on your specific objectives — never an open-ended bill.
Will employees know an investigation is underway?
No — that’s the entire point. We work covertly, typically without other employees being aware. Surveillance, undercover operations, and digital forensics are coordinated to gather evidence without compromising the workplace or alerting the subject.
Can your evidence be used to prosecute or terminate?
Yes. Evidence collected by SLED-licensed PIs using lawful methods is admissible in SC Circuit Court and federal court. Our reports are formatted for use by your legal counsel for termination, civil recovery, or criminal referral. Chain-of-custody is preserved on every case.
Do you work with our HR / legal counsel directly?
Yes — frequently. We coordinate directly with your in-house counsel, outside law firm, or HR director. Many of our corporate cases are referred by SC employment-law attorneys we’ve worked with for years.
How fast can you start?
Most corporate cases begin within 24–48 hours of intake. For time-sensitive matters — fresh evidence, departing employees, urgent threat assessments — we prioritize same-day dispatch.
What kinds of businesses do you serve?
SC manufacturers, retailers, hospitality operators, professional services firms, healthcare facilities, financial institutions, and family-owned businesses across the state. Our team has handled cases from $50K theft to $5M+ IP litigation support.
Confidential strategy call. Free, no obligation.
Tell us what you’re seeing. A senior investigator (often Brian directly) will respond promptly with a confidential discussion of options.
- Direct line to a senior investigator — not an answering service or sales rep
- 1-hour callback promise — including nights, weekends, and holidays
- Honest assessment — we’ll tell you upfront if we can help, and what it takes
- Complete confidentiality — your inquiry is privileged from the moment you submit
- No pressure, no sales — we’ve never made a single cold-call in 25 years
Or call directly · (803) 400-1974
Send us a message
We typically reply within an hour. Your inquiry is completely confidential.
Document the loss. Protect the business.
One call. One licensed investigator. One free, fully confidential conversation about exactly what’s possible in your case.
(803) 400-1974