After 22 years in business, Justin Mann has built a $17 million business installing floors in office buildings and other construction projects.

Yesterday, the owner of Minneapolis-based TCM Contract Flooring mingled with others who have found success in opening minority-owned contracting businesses as they gathered for their annual conference. The National Association of Minority Contractors conference runs through tomorrow at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Baltimore.

A decade ago, the contractors said, they would have been hard-pressed to find such lucrative businesses owned by minorities. Today minority contractors are more common, but conference organizers said there's room for more.

"We've broken down some of the barriers," said Arnold Jolivet, the group's executive director. "But there are still obstacles to equal participation."

Government contracting programs have opened the door for many minority contractors. The 600 contractors meeting downtown chose Baltimore because it sets a high target of 35 percent for city business with minority contractors. The state's goal is 25 percent.

Mayor Martin O'Malley, during a speech at the group's banquet yesterday, told contractors that the city has an obligation to minority companies.

"In Baltimore, we will go the extra mile to make sure the prosperity includes all communities, all neighborhoods and all businesses," O'Malley said.

The contractors said it is more difficult to win contracts for private development projects, the basis of most contracting business.

"The government has provided a base to get started," said Jolivet. "The challenge is to expand into the private market."

Part of the problem, Jolivet and others said, is that despite the growing number of multimillion-dollar minority contracting companies, too many others are too small.

Jolivet said the conference will focus on how to help businesses expand so that they can compete for bigger contracts. One way is for small companies to become partners on contracts, he said.

"We live in a society that puts value on size," he said. "Everything now is mega."

The conference also includes workshops on small business loans, marketing, bonding and tax issues.

An exhibit hall contains displays of businesses looking for minority companies to participate in jobs. Many contractors said they will use the conference to network and find those jobs. Mann said he attended to meet with businessmen from Atlanta. "I doubt I'll sign any contracts here, but I'll meet the people looking to make deals," he said.

Richard McEachern was at the conference representing New York-based Turner Construction, one of the country's largest construction companies. The company has a 20 percent minority contracting goal. "It's a good place to meet up-and-coming businesses," he said.