Covert Businesses and Front Companies

Not every shipment in Dirty Business rides the elevator to the surface. Once your operation outgrows backpack-scale deals, covert businesses — also called front companies — provide legitimate-looking logistics for high-volume illegal cargo. Early Access ships two front companies you can leverage alongside street dealers and the cartel airstrip. This guide explains when to use them, how they differ from elevator delivery, and how they connect to the wider distribution hub.

Front companies are Early Access content — the free demo focuses on elevator-scale orders only. Returning demo players should read demo vs EA before hunting menus they never had.

Why front companies exist

Plan Dirty Games models a full criminal empire, not only a grow room. Real logistics split by payload size:

Channel	Typical payload	Visibility
Elevator delivery	Small/medium crates	Hidden shaft
Front company vehicles	Large consolidated loads	Public roads, fake paperwork
Street dealers	Retail-scale product	City corners
Cartel airstrip	Bulk smuggling	Remote strip

Using the wrong channel wastes time — hauling airstrip-grade volume through elevator loops triggers bottlenecks and co-op traffic jams.

Unlocking and operating front companies

Exact unlock beats vary by build; generally you progress past tutorial contracts and base upgrades until covert business entries appear in management UI. Vehicles spawn at or near your underground garage expansion — garage upgrades support fleet scale per base building.

Operation loop:

1. Produce and package goods to contract spec — complete orders
2. Stage cargo at loading zone tied to front company
3. Assign driver or self-drive route to drop-off
4. Return before timer expiry; heat systems may react to sloppy routes

Co-op squads often split driver vs floor production roles — see co-op guide.

Two front companies in Early Access

Steam marketing confirms two covert businesses at EA launch (July 22, 2026). Treat them as specialized covers — perhaps logistics vs import/export flavor — rather than duplicate menus. Until Plan Dirty publishes detailed branding, optimize mechanically:

• Match company to contract vehicle requirement on order terminal
• Keep vehicles fueled/repaired if maintenance systems apply patch-to-patch
• Do not mix product tiers in one trailer load unless orders allow batching

We update names and perks when official patch notes clarify them on EA launch revisions.

Risk and heat considerations

Front companies trade visibility for capacity. Driving a branded van through city routes may increase exposure versus hidden elevator lifts. Balance:

• Run disposal sweeps before large outbound runs — evidence disposal
• Avoid stacking dealer sales and front-company runs during same heat spike
• Upgrade security rooms from base upgrades if patrol pressure rises

Economy and profit

Large contracts pay more but tie up vehicles and staff. Before accepting, run margins in the profit calculator and schedule routes with the order planner. Front-company jobs shine when batching multiple medium orders into one vehicle trip.

Relationship to open-world plans

Press materials tease city-wide distribution and district control during Early Access year. Front companies are the on-ramp — legal facades that later connect to open districts. Track directional plans on roadmap without treating teasers as shipped features.

Demo vs EA checklist

• Demo: elevator-only distribution teaching loop
• EA: front companies + dealers + airstrip + employees
• Saves: non-transferable — EA start walkthrough for fresh layout planning

Common mistakes

• Accepting vehicle-required orders without unlocked front company
• Under-staffing production while driver waits idle
• Ignoring return timers on rented vehicles
• Using front company for tiny orders better sent via elevator

Related guides

• Distribution hub — full channel overview
• Elevator delivery — small order path
• Street dealers — retail outbound
• Cartel airstrip — bulk smuggling
• Production hub — what to load

Front companies are the fantasy of looking legal while moving illegal weight. Master them and your empire stops feeling like a basement-only operation.

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See also: EA launch · Demo vs EA · Complete orders