Ayuda Companies Awarded the 8(a) Graduate of the Year
May 2, 2018: Ayuda Companies was one of five Colorado small businesses that 
was honored during National Small Business Week, which was April 29 through May 1, 2018. Ayuda was awarded the 8(a) Graduate of the Year Award from the Small Business Administration (SBA). According to the regional branch of the SBA: "Ayuda Companies was founded in 2002 as Velez Management Corporation by Maria Velez on the premise that nothing would be handed to you in life, and not task is worth doing unless you are willing to do it right. She started the consulting company as a single mom with a cell phone, computer and under $1,000 in savings. In May 2006, the firm was accepted into the SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Program. In 2007, Sonya Yungeberg joined Maria Velez as a partner and second employee. At that time, the company name was changed to Ayuda Companies. The company has since grown from two employees to 46 full time staff members and has successfully completed over $150 million in contracts for government and commercial clients in environmental consulting, environmental remediation, and construction & construction management."
Ayuda Companies Awarded Thermal In-Situ Remedial Action Services to EPA Region 7
August 30, 2017: Ayuda Companies, a premier provider of Environmental Consulting, Environmental Remediation, and Construction Management Services, announced today that it has been awarded the Thermal In-situ Remedial Action for the Cleburn Superfund site in Grand Island, Nebraska by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7. The Remedial Action addresses trichloroethylene in subsurface soils and groundwater beneath and downgradient of a historical dry cleaners site.
Ayuda Companies teamed with McMillan-McGee Corporation (Mc2), to provide thermal remediation design, installation, and operation services utilizing Mc2s Electro-Thermal Dynamic Stripping Process (ET-DSP™) thermal remediation system. The ET-DSP™ system provides the three dominant heat transfer mechanisms of electrical heating, conductive heating, and convective heat transfer.
The thermal remediation system is being installed beneath existing businesses and city infrastructure. The project also includes the removal and abandonment of the existing soil vapor extraction and groundwater extraction and treatment systems; installation of a new multiphase extraction and treatment system; and site restoration of city infrastructure.
Ayuda is proud to be a member Interstate Technology & Regulatory Council’s (ITRCs) Industry Affiliates Program and Ayuda was accepted into the PFAS technical group.
ITRC is a public-private coalition working to reduce barriers to the use of innovative environmental technologies that reduce compliance costs and maximize cleanup efficacy.
Perfluorinated Compounds (PFCs) Hit the News
Aug 2016: PFCs, emerging contaminants, have been in the news across the country due to their detection in some water supplies. Since 2013, Ayuda has been conducting PFC assessments and investigations at Ellsworth AFB, SD.
PFCs are emerging contaminants found in fire-fighting foam and an array of consumer products. Emerging contaminants are compounds that may pose a risk to human health or the environment or that do not have published health standards. The EPA has published a fact sheet on PFCs and has issued provisional health advisories (PHAs) for two of those compounds (PFOS and PFOA) at the part per trillion level!
Ayuda’s work on PFCs has been conducted under a USACE contract with direct and close collaboration with the Air Force and the Air Force Civil Engineering Center. Ayuda is only one of a handful of companies to have experience in the site assessment of PFC releases, investigation, evaluation, and risk assessment. Our work is at the forefront of the developing environmental concerns associated with PFCs. Because of their presence in consumer products, strict controls on the sampling and analyses process as well as prohibitions on commonly used materials are required to ensure the collection of valid and defensible samples. Soil analyses are conducted via a modified drinking water method and not all labs modify the method in the same manner. Ayuda is familiar with and understands the issues associated with ensuring representative and defensible data for PFCs is collected.
Ayuda Companies is HUBZone Certified
Fall 2015: Ayuda Companies is proud to be certified by the U.S. Small Business Administration's Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone). The SBA's HUBZone program is in line with the efforts of both the Administration and Congress to promote economic development and employment growth in distressed areas by providing access to more federal contracting opportunities.
Ayuda Leverages SBA Programs for Business Success
Fall 2015: When Maria Velez began Ayuda Companies in 2002, she knew the focus of the business needed to center around her core values of commitment, courage, creativity, consistency, challenges, compassion, and community. In the beginning the business had one employee and $33,000 in annual revenue. Today, Ayuda has grown to 45 employees and $14,000,000 in annual revenue.
Ayuda Wins NASA Johnson Space Center $9.5M Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) PACC 2 Contract
January 1, 2016: Ayuda is very proud to have been selected for the historical design and restoration of the NASA Apollo Mission Control Room as a project under the recently awarded PACC 2 Contract. The ‘Cathedral’ to the U.S. Space race has been dormant for 23 years. The NASA Apollo Mission Control Room is being restored to commemorate the first moon landing’s half-century anniversary. This work is being completed in two phases with the historical design underway.
Hail Cove Project Will Protect Marshes, Provide Buffer Against Future Storms
November 3, 2014: The U.S . Fish and Wildlife Serviceawarded a $1.3 million contract for the project to reduce erosion and wave action to protect 400 acres of tidal marshes in the Chester River. Coastal marshes are natural buffers for communities against hurricanes and other severe storms. Ayuda Companies will complete the work during the next two years under the contract. The funding for the project is a portion of the $102 million in federal emergency funding allocated to the Service following Hurricane Sandy to complete projects to restore coastal marshes, wetlands and shoreline, create open connections to rivers and streams for fish passage, and reduce the risk of flooding from future storms. Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge is a 2,285 acre island providing habitat for thousands of wintering waterfowl including the tundra swan. Surrounded by the Chester River and Chesapeake Bay, more than 240 bird species visit the refuge along with small mammals and many other wildlife species.
Ayuda Receives Patriot Awards from Office of Secretary of Defense, ESGR
April 10, 2014: Ayuda’s owners, Maria Velez, CEO (group photo, far right), and Sonya Yungeberg, President (below, left), 
and Ben Huggins, Vice President, were awarded Patriot Awards by the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR). Ayuda was nominated for the award, by Gus Thornton, a Major in the Army Reserves (center, Ayuda group photo, next to Ben Huggins, his former supervisor). Nominations for the Patriot Award are made by employees serving in the Reserve or National Guard for efforts made to support Citizen Warriors through a wide-range of measures, including flexible schedules, time off prior to and after deployment, caring for families, and granting leaves of absence if needed. 
Gus cited Ayuda’s management’s support of him before, during, and after deployment and Ayuda personnel’s generous support with cards and care packages during Gus’s deployment to Afghanistan in late 2012 and 2013, where he served as Directorate of Public Works, Orders in Council, with the 652nd Regional Support Group, at Kandahar Army Base. “The support you gave me and by extension my family during my deployment to Afghanistan was amazing and I was truly humbled by your generosity, patience, and understanding,” said Gus.
The awards were given to Ayuda by Ms. Becky Small, an Employer Outreach Coordinator with ESGR (group photo, second to the left) at a going-away party for Gus, who is beginning a new job, closer to his home. We wish Gus every continued success! He will always be a part of team Ayuda.
The City and County of Denver Awards Ayuda a Contract to Renovate West High School
February 27, 2014: Ayuda was awarded a $5.5 million contract with the City and County of Denver to renovate West High School. The high school, which was built in 1926, was the second high school in Denver. The project includes: replacement of boilers, pumps and piping; a new mechanical ventilation system for heat mitigation; a new fire sprinkler system throughout building; replacement of theater curtains and rigging systems and upgrades of auditorium sound and lighting systems; minor renovations to improve accessibility and code compliance; major renovation of science room areas; and replacement and repairs to pool equipment.
The project will be completed in August 2014, before the start of the new school year.
USACE Tulsa District awards Ayuda IDIQ MATOC for Construction and Design-Build Services
February 5, 2014: Ayuda was awarded an 8(a) Multiple Award Task Order Contract (MATOC) for Construction and Design-Build Services to meet the requirements and time constraints for military, civil, and Interagency and International Services (IIS) customers within Southwestern Division (SWD) Boundaries, and for Tulsa District customers. This $49.5 million MATOC was a two-phase competitive solicitation for a firm, fixed-price Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ), MATOC. This contract is primarily for Tulsa district projects, but may encompass work in other states covered by the geographic region included in the SWD Boundaries and other SWD Customers.
Ayuda led a team comprised of Guernsey and Johnson Controls Building Automation Systems to win one of four 8(a) awards.
Ayuda Has Entered into a Mentor-Protégé with ARCADIS
January 9, 2014: The U.S. Small Business Administration has approved a new mentor-protégé relationship between Ayuda and ARCADIS. The program encourages private-sector relationships and expands SBA’s efforts to identify and respond to the developmental needs of 8(a) clients.
Ayuda and ARCADIS have successfully partnered together for the past 5 years on environmental and design-build contracts for NASA, Johnson Space Center; Fort Bliss, TX; Camp Bullis, TX; USACE Tulsa District; and U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville.
Ayuda Wins Prestigious 2013 DoD Nunn-Perry Award
November 1, 2013: The Department of Defense (DoD) and Mr. Andre Gudger, Director DoD Office of Small Business Programs, selected Cardno EM-Assist, Inc. and Ayuda to receive the 2013 DoD Nunn-Perry Award, in recognition for their outstanding partnership as a mentor-protégé team.
The prestigious Nunn-Perry Award, named in honor of former Senator Sam Nunn and former Secretary of Defense William Perry, was first awarded in 1995 to recognize outstanding mentor-protégé teams formed under the auspices of the DoD Mentor-Protégé program. The Nunn-Perry award is the highest honor companies can receive in the program.
The DoD Mentor Protégé program encourages major DoD prime contractors to develop the technical and business capabilities of small disadvantaged businesses, qualifying organizations employing the severely disabled, women-owned small businesses, service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, or businesses located in historically underutilized business zones.
The Cardno EM-Assist and Ayuda mentor-protégé team excelled in the areas of technical assistance, growth of the protégé, and impact on the protégé’s development. In the award notification, Mr. Paul Simpkins, Associate Director, Office of Small Business Programs cites: “… your hard work, dedication, and superior achievements have gone a long way towards making this another successful year for the DoD Mentor-Protégé Program. Well done!”
Ayuda is an 8(a), EDWOSB and a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise/Minority Business Enterprise, which provides design/build, construction, construction defect repair, environmental remediation, and environmental compliance services to the public and private sectors.
Ayuda Wins IDIQ MATOC for Corps of Engineers – Huntsville Center’s Design/Build and Construction of Access Control Point (ACP) Program to Provide ACP Support Worldwide
September 25, 2013: Ayuda was awarded a Multiple Award Task Order Contract (MATOC) for the Design/Build and Construction for the Access Control Point (ACP) Program by the Corps of Engineers – Huntsville Center (CEHNC), with a MATOC ceiling value of $200 million. This indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) MATOC will provide a broad spectrum of ACP design-build and construction services at Government installations and facilities worldwide, including repair, renovation, conversion, alteration, additions, construction, equipment procurement, equipment installation, and maintenance. The MATOC was competed among twenty-nine 8(a) companies. Ayuda led a team comprised of PCL Construction, Guernsey, Johnson Controls Building Automation Systems and ARCADIS – U.S., Inc. to win one of seven 8(a) awards. The five-year MATOC will use IDIQ task orders to provide design-build and construction services both in the U.S. and worldwide, which include roadway and traffic island construction; lighting and guard booth installation; canopy, passive barrier, gatehouse, search area and visitor control center construction; and active vehicle barrier, closed circuit television, and electronic security systems installation. Support will include a range of efforts, such as ACP design and construction, ACP construction from completed designs, and specific ACP infrastructure or equipment upgrades.
Earlier this year, in July 2013, Johnson Controls was awarded a contract for the unrestricted version of this MATOC, with a $230 million contract ceiling, with Ayuda and Guernsey a part of their team.
Part of Fort Carson History is Coming Down
August 16, 2013: Ayuda is featured in the Fort Carson Mountaineer with their asbestos abatement and demolition project at the Old Hospital Complex.
"As demolition proceeds, workers spray water on the building to keep fibers from becoming airborne, and if the wind picks up, work stops. There are two air speed indicators on the site. If the wind blows more than 12 mph for more than 20 minutes, they stop, said Rick Hughes, site safety manager with Ayuda."
Ayuda Partners Joint Venture Wins USACE SPD MEGA Performance-Based Remediation Contract
May 14, 2013: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Albuquerque District awarded Ayuda Partners Joint Venture (JV), LLC a Multiple Award Task Order Contract (MATOC) for Environmental Remediation Services (ERS) for the USACE South Pacific Division (SPD) Multiple Environmental Government Acquisition (MEGA), with a ceiling value of $25 million. The 8(a) SPD MEGA was competed among thirty-two companies. Ayuda Partners JV, a joint venture consisting of Ayuda (managing partner) and Plexus Scientific Corporation, led a team comprised of subcontractors Brown and Caldwell, Integrated Environmental Management Systems (IEM), and NORCAL Geophysical Consultants, to win one of six awards. This contract will use performance-based remediation (PBR) task orders to provide environmental remediation services in support of environmental cleanup for various military and Interagency and International Support (IIS) customers; Air Force, Army and other DoD agencies; EPA, and environmental-related regulatory programs, including the Department of Defense Environmental Restoration Program (DERP), Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS), DoD Environmental Compliance Program, Environmental Support for Others (ESFO) Program; Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP), Superfund and Brownfield Programs; environmental stewardship programs; and other environmental related regulatory programs. PBR task orders will be issued in support of a broad spectrum of environmental services, from investigation through remediation, related to the control of environmental contamination from pollutants, toxic substances, radioactive materials, and hazardous materials at known or suspected hazardous, toxic and radioactive waste sites to address hazardous, radioactive, and mixed waste management/disposal; underground storage tanks; and fuels-related issue in compliance with RCRA, CERCLA, the NCP, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and other related federal programs, as well as state and local regulations.
Colorado Success Stories: Ayuda
Under-promising and over-delivering are keys to government contractor's success – By David P. Mead
Maria Velez and Sonya Yungeberg are co-owners who lead Ayuda which provides services to a select client base in the areas of general contracting/construction management, construction defect repair, homeland defense consulting/security system design and installation, and environmental consulting.
Top 50 Minority-Owned Companies
Ayuda repeats as top-growing firm
A year ago when Ayuda posted the best year-over-year growth of any firm in the ColoradoBiz Top 50 Minority-Owned Companies ranking, Ayuda founder Maria Velez reacted to her firm’s 970 percent revenue jump by forecasting more growth.
She knew what she was talking about. From 2007 to last year, Velez’s Broomfield-based construction-management firm increased revenues another 405 percent – improving year-over-year from $2.98 million to $15.1 million – to repeat as the top-growing minority-owned company among the ColoradoBiz Top 50.
Top 50 Minority-Owned Companies - Colorado Biz TV
Ayuda repeats as top-growing firm
Colorado Companies To Watch
2011 Award Winner
Colorado Success Stories: Ayuda
Under-promising and over-delivering are keys to government contractor's success – By David P. Mead
Maria Velez and Sonya Yungeberg are co-owners who lead Ayuda which provides services to a select client base in the areas of general contracting/construction management, construction defect repair, homeland defense consulting/security system design and installation, and environmental consulting.
Top 50 Minority-Owned Companies
Ayuda repeats as top-growing firm
A year ago when Ayuda posted the best year-over-year growth of any firm in the ColoradoBiz Top 50 Minority-Owned Companies ranking, Ayuda founder Maria Velez reacted to her firm’s 970 percent revenue jump by forecasting more growth.
She knew what she was talking about. From 2007 to last year, Velez’s Broomfield-based construction-management firm increased revenues another 405 percent – improving year-over-year from $2.98 million to $15.1 million – to repeat as the top-growing minority-owned company among the ColoradoBiz Top 50.
Top 50 Minority-Owned Companies - Colorado Biz TV
Ayuda repeats as top-growing firm
Colorado Companies To Watch
2011 Award Winner
Top 50 (09’/10’) Minority-Owned Companies list from Colorado Biz Magazine.com
Ayuda ranks 4th based on revenue.
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Top 250 (09’/10’) Private Companies list from Colorado Biz Magazine.com
Ayuda ranks 74th based on revenue.
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Top 50 minority-owned companies
Construction management firm boasts best revenue growth
In 2006, Ayuda 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.
Maria Velez, 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.
Ayuda ranked as top Colorado firm in "inc. 500"
The Denver Post
Ayuda, a Broomfield-based provider of government services, was the top- ranked Colorado company in this year's "Inc. 500," a list of the nation's fastest-growing entrepreneurial businesses. Ayuda, ranked No. 22 overall, had a three-year growth rate of 7,443 percent and revenues of $20.7 million.
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INC.com INC 5000 - 2010 RANKING: #22
Ayuda founder Maria Velez and Father Tom Velez: Is Entrepreneurship Inherited?
This interview is part of the cover story in the May 23, 2011 issue of Forbes, where we ask eight father/child pairs to reflect on their relationships and the extent to which they think entrepreneurial drive is a result of nature, nurture or both.
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