Michael arranges for Ryan's return to the Scranton branch, and temporarily grows a goatee like Ryan's. Disturbed by Michael's mimicry, Ryan shaves the goatee off. When Michael starts his own company in "Dream Team", he convinces him to leave his job at the bowling alley and join his newly formed paper company. When working together, Ryan comes to respect Michael's skills as a salesman. After the buyout of the Michael Scott Paper Company by Dunder Mifflin, Michael rehires Ryan as a salesman before demoting him back to a temp.