Every business has its ups and downs through the course of its natural life.

Whether the beginning, middle or end of the story is rocky, there is bound to be failure at some point — and that forces owners to make the decision to sink or swim.

Facing down failures can have the effect of helping those at the helm of the ship lead their crew toward a better place. That’s been the case for two companies in the Pittsburgh area — North Shore-based Gecko Robotics and Jim Shorkey Auto Group headquartered in Irwin.

Gecko Robotics is software company that specializes in tech, primarily wall-climbing robots, drones, robot dogs and fixed-sensors that collect data on infrastructure. Its products can be found in U.S. Navy warships and submarines, or in the commercial space and energy, mining and manu

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