National vs. Local Agencies

Although national investigative agencies may seem better suited to handle a case, this is rarely true. For a Colorado case, there is no better investigator than a Colorado based investigator who is familiar with where the courts are, the towns, the streets, shortcuts to get from point A to point B, etc. A surveillance investigator who is flown in to Denver from Boston to conduct surveillance is instantly at a disadvantage from an investigator from who has been conducting surveillance in Denver for years and knows the neighborhoods and demographics of the area.
Also, the local agency will most likely turn over the completed case and billing to the client quicker than a national agency based out of state. The client has a better opportunity of meeting with the investigator face-to-face with a local agency rather than one based out of state.
A fact that is not well known outside the investigative community is that national companies usually use local investigators as sub-contractors to work the cases. If the client hired the sub-contractor investigator directly, the same product could be received in a shorter time and likely for less money as there is no middle man. There are many national companies that advertise as having local offices in Colorado. However, most of these companies just have a post office or mail drop as an address to give the illusion of having a Colorado office.