A roundup of recent personnel moves and awards affecting the Hispanic business community.

Proposition 8, the California initiative that prevented same-sex couple from getting married, made national headlines this week. Many see it as a look into the future of gay marriage throughout the United States. Californians approved the proposition 52 percent to 48 percent, thereby amending the state's constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman. Just as their votes were considered critical to winning the presidential election, Hispanics were considered a key group whose support was necessary in this battle.

The Hispanic Business 500 has served as a barometer of the U.S. Hispanic economy for more than 25 years. We believe that applying our criteria on a statewide level can yield interesting results for our readers. Here's a look at the Virginia-based companies on the list.

Shop around for a car and you'll see endless buying and leasing incentives . . . for those fortunate enough to qualify for a loan in the current credit markets. Car dealerships are offering tremendous promotions because, simply, they need to sell cars and move inventory. Is the rare and exotic supercar market struggling as well? Not so much. Believe it or not, those ultra-expensive vehicles are selling, for record prices.

The number of Hispanic-owned businesses in the United States is expected to grow 41.8 percent in the next six years to 4.3 million, with total revenues surging 39 percent to more than $539 billion, according to new estimates by HispanTelligence. Spurred by growing entrepreneurial trends and affluence among the nation's largest minority population, the increase is expected to come at a robust rate of 8.5 and 8.7 percent, respectfully, over the next couple years.

For more than two decades, the annual Hispanic Business 500 directory has served as a barometer of the U.S. Hispanic economy. A purchase of the 2007 directory provides the top 500 Hispanic-owned companies list in Excel format including: CEO names; company addresses and telephone numbers; e-mail addresses for 375 companies and Web addresses for 430 companies; and company revenue and employees numbers for 2005 and 2006.

Ever heard the phrase, "one must spend money to make money?" With today's tight credit markets, that's one cliche in danger of fading from memory. To compensate, an increasing number of companies are spending a different kind of currency -- intellectual capital in the form of innovation. Regardless of industry or sector, it is the innovators -- those coming up with new technologies, or new, interesting ways to utilize existing technologies -- who are redefining successful business models.

Words like "hope" and "change" drove the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign while the two major candidates deposited promises of tax cuts and new programs at nearly every stop. But just as Americans began casting early votes for their next president, a major meltdown on Wall Street gripped the nation. Now, anxious voters wonder what might become of the high-sounding campaign promises.

From Los Angeles to Miami, Hispanic auto dealers innovate and tighten belts as they bump through tough economic times.