Organization

Pharmaceutical support firm already planning expansion

Tuesday, May 20, 2008
By Keith Roberts
kroberts@citpat.com—768-4922

At most ribbon-cutting ceremonies for new companies, officials say how happy they are to be in business.

Dan Ross, president of TransPharm Preclinical Solutions, said it’s been exhilarating to start his own business and he’s excited about the prospects of making money. But his focus isn’t on opening the business. It’s on growing it.

After Monday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony for the company’s 6,200-square-foot facility in Napoleon Township, Ross said he plans to lease space to other companies for use during off hours, add more office space for his employees and expand the facility for other companies interested in moving there.

TransPharm Preclinical Solutions opened in mid-April at 7190 S. Brooklyn Road and has five employees. All of them, including Ross, are former employees of Pfizer in Ann Arbor.

Ross said he learned of Pfizer’s closing in January 2007, and unlike some of his colleagues there who considered taking jobs with other companies, he was determined to start his own business.

So by the time he left Pfizer in July, he was well on his way to starting TransPharm.

``I think the advantage for me was this was Plan A from the beginning,’’ Ross said.

TransPharm, whose motto is ``Working with us is contagious,’’ does infectious-disease studies for pharmaceutical companies.

About 70 people attended the ceremony Monday, including numerous state and local representatives and leaders of the Jackson Citizens for Economic Growth and the Brooklyn, Napoleon and Greater Jackson chambers of commerce.

State Sen. Mark Schauer, D-Battle Creek, who helped TransPharm get a $400,000 loan from a special fund within the Michigan Economic Development Corp.’s 21st Century Jobs Fund, said the turnout showed how much the community cares about jobs in times like these.

``This is not only a success story. It’s a signal to folks in the community and from outside the community this is fertile ground for entrepreneurial activity and high-tech job creation,’’ Schauer said.

Valerie Hoag, director of the 21st Century Jobs Fund, said she was glad to help TransPharm.

``I think it’s great for Jackson,’’ Hoag said. ``I hope they grow fast and create a lot of jobs.’’

Ross plans to seek another loan to help pay for the expansion.

Hoag said she couldn’t say what TransPharm’s chance of getting it is, but judging from what she already knows about the company, its application should be competitive.

Tom Grace, director of Jackson Citizens for Economic Growth, said TransPharm might be small now, but it has a lot of potential to grow and help bring other companies here to grow with it.

``Each little company is going to create its own little satellite,’’ Grace said. ``I think this is only the beginning.’’