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Moceri Builds With Capital "B"

Name means housing construction in every corner of Oakland Township.

Dive through Oakland Township or talk about what's happening there, and a name pops up: Moceri.

While several builders and developers have their hands in this rural outpost of Oakland County, the Moceri brothers -- Dominic, Frank and Mario -- are the most involved, with more than 500 houses built there since they first got into the 36-square-mile township in 1989.

"Moceri is very visible and probably has more units than any other developer," says Jim Creech, township manager.

Their developments pepper the Billion Dollar Mile -- the high-end area near Adams and Silver Bell Roads. They've built condo and smaller single-family homes, too, but Moceri is known for high-end stuff, like a hilltop Carrollton Hills cul-de-sac featuring $2 million estates. Those in the know hear Moceri and think Dominic, the company figurehead and new president of the Building Industry Association of southeastern Michigan. He's the one at the microphone.

But 39-year-old Frank Moceri gets it done.

"When I was a kid, I didn't play with Lincoln Logs," says Frank Moceri, who's in charge of construction operations. "I played with two-by-fours." At age 8, he built a fort out of scrap wood, nails and hammers his father brought home from building sites.

Poetic foreshadowing? The Moceri brothers follow a three-generation family legacy started by grandfather Buster, who traded a produce business for real estate. They're a tight-knit pack with friends in common.Frank navigates his SUV through Moceri developments, all professional talk as he points to houses on hills whose construction he directed.

"We were ahead of the trend," he says. "If you stick with trends, you're too far behind. You gotta stay ahead."

He looks at stone samples with barely a difference between them and comments on how customers are so attuned to detail. Let them lead the process, he demurs, recalling his father's age-old advice of building for customers, not himself.

It takes a half-hour of conversation before veneer fades and instinct emerges. "We don't rely much on market research; they rely on us," says Frank Moceri. "We don't like to give information to the competition."

It's that cutthroat-with-compassion business sense that drives the Moceris. When Frank says, "We're providing shelter for people," you know what comes next: "But it gives us great satisfaction seeing a community develop." These houses aren't just about sheltering the homeless; they're about directing the future.

"Frank's got a keen eye for custom homes," says Sam Palazzolo, of Palazzolo Brothers, a Sterling Heights-based builder, and Moceri relative. "He's on top of the market. They're fair, always fair; they make sure everyone around them can make money, too. They've got a good reputation."

Yet few people know Frank Moceri. He comes with hammer and hoe to create communities, lifestyles and lives.

"He's always liked that he could stay hands-on; that's his strength," says Steve Perlman, a partner in Ivanhoe-Huntley Homes and former BIA president. The Moceri Companies began building in 1958. Dominic Senior's long hours and absolute work ethic taught his sons how to build success. In 1989, the Moceris started the Hills of Oakland, their first foray into the township. The draw? "Rolling hills, the amount of land that was available, and it was still rural," says Frank Moceri. "There was a lot of opportunity."

Creech says the Moceris' motivation is probably to make money, but he's heartened that they live in Oakland where they build. That assures him they won't decimate the area.

In fact, maintaining rural allure is a top priority, says Frank Moceri. That's in keeping with the township's master plan, which is intent on preserving nature, despite a 71.4 percent growth rate. The Moceri Companies have built at least five developments there and recently bought a large northwest section of undeveloped land.

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