Saline's Pair of Docs sees high tech as Michigan's economic turnaround

Wednesday, September 24, 2008 | Source: Concentrate

Looking at Michigan's economic future is sort of a glass half full/half empty experience as of late... except in the case of the people behind one Saline company.

Gerry Roston, co-founder of Pair of Docs Consulting, definitely sees the state's glass, especially in the Ann Arbor, as half full and filling quickly.

"There is a lot of talk of doom and gloom in the state," says Roston. "For those of us involved with the tech start-ups … there is a lot going on. It's hard to imagine that something good isn’t going to happen soon. Something has to pop."

Pair of Docs is was founded in 1999 by Roston and his wife, Lorraine Thompson, with a focus on improving business and organizational management for tech start-ups.

The two PhDs (Pair of Docs, get it?) are heavily involved with Michigan's efforts to turn its brawn-based economy into a brain-based one. They have worked with the likes of Ann Arbor SPARK and the state's 21st Century Jobs Fund. Roston also serves on the advisory board for Michigan's Emerging Technologies Fund.

The Saline firm started out with the couple, which often work on separate projects, and will probably stay that way for the foreseeable future. Roston expects to expand as his firm's consulting reputation grows. As he sees it, there should be plenty of that kind of work in Michigan's future.

Source: Gerry Roston, co-founder of Pair of Docs Consulting
Writer: Jon Zemke