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When brothers Ronald and Michael Roybal started The Roybal Corp. in 1981, it was truly a family business because they were the only employees. Today, the architectural firm is the fifth largest in Denver, according to Business Journal research, and at $5.3 million in revenue for 1996, is also Denver's largest minority-owned architectural firm. The brothers' working relationship began even before they started the firm, however. The first in their family to attend college, they both attended the University of Colorado. After receiving undergraduate degrees in architecture, both the brothers were awarded fellowships to the University of California at Berkeley. Both earned master's degrees in architecture and Ronald also earned a master's in city and regional planning. The business has been a success, Ron Roybal said, because the brothers have a close personal and professional relationship. "One of the reasons is the fact that we have a lot of mutual respect for each other and can depend on each other, which are key elements in any partnership," he said. Roybal pointed to the amount of turnover among the principals of professional service companies such as architecture firms, law firms and engineering firms. "You see so many companies' names change over the years as partners move," Roybal said. "There is a lot of splitting off. We've never had to face anything like that. Because of the fact that we are brothers, we can work closely together." Ron said that he and younger brother Mike are confident in each other's capabilities. "When one of us is sick or out, we know that the other partner knows everything about the business that there is," Ron said. Over the years, the firm's clients have come to know each of the partners' personalities and how that affects their business style. "We have clients who have worked with us for a number of years," Roybal said. "After a while they got to know our personalities." Ron is a self-professed talker who enjoys going out and gathering new business and taking on more of the administrative duties, while Mike is the more technically-minded brother who does much of the design work. "We realize in a business that there has to be a person who is in the {administrative} side, and I enjoy that," Ron said. "Mike is more methodical and a very good designer." "It was never deliberate, it came about in terms of what we like to do," he said, while emphasizing that both are also capable of handling all aspects of the business. "We wear a lot of hats." Among their peers, the Roybals have earned a solid reputation for their professionalism and commitment to the community. "They have respect for each other, respect for their employees and respect for their friends and business associates," said Ronald Montoya, president of Denver-based PlastiCom Industries Inc. and chairman of the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. I have always felt that they were extremely professional and hardworking," Montoya said. "They are quite creative, and not just because they are architects, but also direction they have taken {their company}. Their business has extended to some different realms." The brothers made a conscious decision during the mid-1980s when times were tough to diversify the Roybal Corp.'s services. The firm began offering services in areas such as environmental engineering, interior design and facilities management. In 1989, the company opened an office in Tulsa, Okla., which focuses on facilities management. It now employs about 30 people. The environmental division has grown significantly over the past few years, particularly after receiving a contract with the U.S. Department of State. "We really have blossomed in all directions," Ron said. "Our biggest challenge today is to make each division grow." As far as whether or not this first generation family business will ever become multi-generational, the brothers said they haven't thought too much about it yet. Both have young children and, while encouraging of their early interest in design, are careful not to push them in that direction. "But if they chose to do that," Ron said, "there would be some opportunities."