Investigation and Security Services

Businesses and organizations in the Investigation and Security Services industry (NAICS code 5616, part of the Administrative and Support and Waste Management sector) received 31,954 PPP loans totaling $3.04B during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The average loan for this industry was $95,240 — above the national PPP average of approximately $67,000. This reflects the small business character of most participants in this industry, typically sole proprietors and micro-businesses with modest payroll obligations.

89.9% of loans in this industry were forgiven — totaling $2.93B. To qualify for forgiveness, borrowers had to demonstrate that they maintained headcount and compensation levels and used at least 60% of loan proceeds for payroll expenses.

Notable recipients in this industry include METROPOLITAN SECURITY SERVICES, INC. of CHATTANOOGA, TN ($10,000,000); GENESIS SECURITY SERVICES, INC. of CAROLINA, PR ($10,000,000); and SUMMIT SECURITY SERVICES INC. of UNIONDALE, NY ($10,000,000).

The loan amount distribution for this industry shows a more even spread across loan sizes, suggesting a mix of small and mid-sized businesses. Because borrower names are withheld for loans under $150,000, a substantial portion of recipients in this industry may not appear by name in this dataset.

As part of the broader Administrative and Support and Waste Management sector — office administration, hiring and placing personnel, cleaning, waste management. — businesses in NAICS 5616 were particularly reliant on PPP assistance to bridge the gap between declining revenues and fixed overhead obligations during the shutdown period.