For nearly 10 years, Dan Ross worked in the labs at Pfizer in Jackson, Mich. Then the recession hit, shutting down the plant and taking his job. Determined to stay in Michigan, Ross started his own lab and hired his own team to test antibiotics before they land on the shelves of the pharmacy.

“I’ve had two days off this year,” Ross said. “We’ve already done more business in 2010 than we did in all of 2009.”

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