Construction management firm boasts best revenue growth.

• Position: TOP 50 MINORITY-OWNED COMPANIES - Company rankings

In 2006, Ayuda Management Corp. was a one-person company with sales of $279,000 for the year. Less than two years later, the Westminster construction-management firm boasts 14 employees and last year amassed revenues of nearly $3 million, a 970 percent revenue jump that tops all firms for growth in this year's Top 50 Minority-Owned Companies ranking.

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Maria Vogt, 43, the majority owner who founded Ayuda in 2002, began preparing for upsizing when she brought on Sonya Yungeberg as a partner and part owner in October 2006.

"We've been able to accomplish amazing things together," Vogt says.

Ayuda functions primarily as a general contractor in areas that include construction-defect repair, environmental engineering, remediation services and quality control. The company often manages projects as an agent of clients that include the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Navy and Air Force, the Department of Homeland Security and private-sector clients that include John Laing Homes.

"We have very good loyalty from the clients we have. We don't have a lot of clients," says Yungeberg, 37. "We make sure we can do whatever they need us to do and we focus on working with those same clients and doing a good job for them over and over again."

The next best revenue increase among this year's Top 50 Minority-Owned firms was turned in by RTL Networks Inc., a Denver-based technology-solutions firm started by Richard Lewis, an Air Force Academy graduate and Operation Desert Storm veteran who is profiled in this month's magazine on page 21. The six-year-old company increased revenues from $1.5 million in 2006 to $4.3 million last year for a gain of 179 percent.

Third among the top growers is another IT firm, Softec Solutions Inc. The Englewood company grew from $7.2 million to $18.9 million for a one-year gain of 164 percent. The 370-employee consulting and outsourcing company is in its 12th year of operation.

TOP MINORITY-OWNED COMPANIES Ranked by revenues 2008 2007 Company '07 Gross '06 Gross % Change Rank Rank Revenues Revenues (000's) (000's) 1 1 But Automotive $2,120,329 $2,064,840 3% Network 2 2 Mike Shaw 277,370 286,302 -3% Automotive Group 3 7 National 67,488 36,200 86% Finance Corp. of Colorado 4 5 Alpine Buick 46,732 40,000 17% Pontiac GMC 5 Rocky Mountain 23,000 21,000 7% Instrument Co. (RMI Laser) 6 Managed 20,965 17,654 19% Business Solutions 7 Softec 18,946 7,189 164% Solutions Inc. 8 13 Information 15,000 10,500 43% Technology Experts Inc. 9 Protech Sales 14,200 12,300 15% Inc. 10 12 All American 12,947 11,100 17% Seasonings Inc. 11 11 Setpoint 12,100 11,525 5% Systems Corp. 12 Gallegos 11,841 9,607 23% Sanitation Inc. 13 16 Duran 10,258 8,384 22% Excavating Inc. 14 Bolder Saffing 7,816 6,690 17% Inc. 15 14 Axxess Connect 7,800 9,400 -17% LLC 16 23 MOA 7,019 4,811 46% Architecture 17 19 Summit 6,643 5,787 15% Container Corp. 18 18 SolarGlass 6,500 6,000 8% LLC 19 25 JG Management 6,050 4,293 41% Systems Inc. 20 21 Martinez & 5,590 5,460 2% Hromada Associates Inc. 21 Systems 5,565 5,447 2% Research Group Inc. 22 20 Denver 5,500 5,500 0% Management Advisors Inc. 23 Meza 5,300 8,400 -37% Construction Co. 24 29 GR 5,230 4,200 25% Construction LLP 25 35 LEI Cos. Inc. 4,892 2,714 80% 26 Joaquin 4,500 4,000 13% Manufacturing Corp. 26 22 Roth Property 4,500 4,500 0% Maintenance LLC 28 RTL Networks 4,269 1,528 179% Inc. 29 24 RMC 3,901 4,400 -11% Consultants Inc. 30 26 RJR Circuits...