Domenic Ricciuti, president and chief executive officer of Plum Borough-based Ricciuti Construction Inc., has one simple rule when the office door is closed and locked at 5 p.m.: No company business is discussed.

“We established early on that what takes place in this office stays in the office,” said Ricciuti, 53, who along with his brother, Michael, 50, Ricciuti’s vice president and project manager, run the residential and commercial development company. A third brother, John Jr., operates Ricciuti Realty, the real estate arm of the family business that was started a half century ago by Domenic’s father, John Sr. “And definitely no business is discussed at the dinner table,” laughed Domenic’s wife, Pam, Ricciuti Construction’s controller.

Since its beginnings in the 1950s, Ricciuti Construction has segued from a small development company known for modest, ranch-style brick homes in Penn Hills into a multi-faceted organization. With residential development of more than 1,000 homes, many of them custom-built, plus high-end home renovation, Ricciuti Construction has developed more than a dozen subdivisions in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties. The company has also branched out into commercial development with a small retail center in Plum Borough. Ricciuti Construction has consistently been in the top 15 largest home builders in the Pittsburgh Business Times’ annual ranking of the 25 largest area home builders. In addition, the company has been named Builder of the Year in 2000 and 2005 by the Builders Association of Metropolitan Pittsburgh. Ricciuti Construction is also a Builder Spike Member of both the National Association of Home Builders and the Pennsylvania Association of Home Builders.

“It makes me very proud,” said Pam Ricciuti of the family business.

Humble Beginnings
Domenic’s father, John, was a native of Castelbottaccio, Italy. John, who spoke no English, came to the United States when he was 17 to work with his own father, who had emigrated several years earlier.

Father and son worked together at a stone quarry in Lawrence County. John then became an Ellwood City brick mason and later moved to Pittsburgh to work as a bricklayer. It was there he met his wife Jenny. In the 1950s, the Ricciutis - who had three daughters and three sons - left the city and moved to Penn Hills, where John started his business from scratch with wife Jenny serving as office manager. The Ricciuti’s three sons would one day all join their father in the family business, while his three daughters would each receive undeveloped lots in the company’s Penn Hills plan, where they continue to live to this day.

The first major development for Ricciuti Construction was a 40-home development on Julian Drive in Penn Hills. That development was followed by a 500-home development in Penn Hills Park in the 1960s and a 300-home development in a Boyce Park development in the 1970s. Domenic said his father, John, intentionally stayed in Pittsburgh’s eastern suburbs during the early years of the company, largely because of travel time and the tunnels. Domenic says the company has no plans to develop homes outside the eastern suburbs. “We have no plans to leave the east,” said Domenic, who along with his brother, Michael, both have homes in subdivisions developed by Ricciuti Construction. Ricciuti Construction, which builds 18 to 20 homes a year, is currently building homes and developing sites in numerous locations: Windy Oaks in Plum Borough, where packages start at $240,000; Chavelle Estates, also in Plum Borough, where packages start at $280.000; Tara Estates in Natrona Heights, where packages start at $220,000, and Forest View in Indiana Township, where packages begin at $450,000. In Westmoreland County, Ricciuti is building homes in Moreland Manor, Allegheny Township, where packages start at $200,000; Cherry Knoll in Delmont, where packages start at $280,000 and Cherry Wood in Mount Pleasant, where packages start at $225,000.

“There is no greater satisfaction than driving through a neighborhood you helped build,” Domenic said.

The Second Generation
John Ricciuti retired from his namesake company in 1979 at the age of 55. He turned the business over to his sons “with a line of credit and an excellent reputation,” said Domenic at the company’s headquarters in Boyce Park Center, which was developed by his father. “He always said to us your family is No. 1, your business is No. 2 and playtime is third,” said Domenic of his father, who died in 2007. “He was my mentor.”

The family-first philosophy is evident when you walk into the company’s modest offices. Michael’s wife, Linda, is the office manager and guests are greeted by either her or Domenic’s wife, Pam, who sit in the front office. Family photographs, plot maps and awards adorn much of the office walls.“We’re always together playing bocce ball or doing something family oriented,” said Domenic, who, along with his wife, has two sons and two young granddaughters. “I have a lot of mouths to feed.”

A Continiuing Legacy
The third generation of Ricciutis has already joined the family business. Domenic’s son, Domenic Jr., 30, has a degree in civil engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. With experience at some of the largest commercial contractors in the area - Dick Corp. and Massaro Corp. - Domenic Jr. has become a project estimator and manager for the family business. Domenic Jr’s. wife Disiree, along with longtime friend and “family member” Randy Robins provide customer service and many daily support duties. Domenic’s second son, Jonathan, 24, works as a labor foreman for the company. Michael Ricciuti’s son, Michael Jr., is still in high school, but works for the company during summer vacations.

John Ricciuti retired from his namesake company in 1979 at the age of 55. He turned the business over to his sons “with a line of credit and an excellent reputation.”

A Changing Business
When the Ricciuti brothers took over for their father in 1979, the Pittsburgh area market for new homes was already changing. Interest rates were in the high double digits and buyers were no longer satisfied with houses that were identical to their neighbors. Domenic said they had to change the company’s business model to better serve their customers. “People wanted more of a variety,” Domenic said. “That is when we started building custom homes.” While there are a number of home builders in Pittsburgh’s eastern suburbs, Domenic says what makes Ricciuti Construction stand apart from its competitors is its high level of customer service. Buyers meet directly with Domenic who will often do pencil sketches to help his clients visualize their dream homes. Customers are encouraged to have the floor plan and amenities they want, all within their budget.

Robert and Joanne Vella recently moved into a Ricciuti-built home in Cherry Wood in Mount Pleasant. “We talked and told him what we were looking for,” said Ms. Vella, adding she and her husband talked to several residential developers before deciding to have Ricciuti Construction build their new home. “He lives in a plan he built, what more can you ask for? If we had questions, someone would get back to us within 24 hours.”

Ricciuti is now building homes and developing home sites at various price points to spread its risk. Ricciuti’s lower-priced homes and higher-end homes are selling. Sales of houses in the $300,000s are slow, he said.“In 2002 and 2003, we saw the cost of materials go up,” said Domenic, explaining the company’s decision to construct homes at several price points. The company also does high-end home renovation, in the $100,000 to $200,000 range, much of which Domenic oversees himself.

The company’s hands-on approach has not gone unnoticed by Pittsburgh’s real estate community.“He has been doing this a long time,” said Bill Dietrich, who heads Coldwell Banker Pittsburgh’s new homes division. “From a realtor’s standpoint, the company is financially sound. His product has real value per square foot. He is vertically integrated. He has his own draftsmen and architects. He is essentially a one-stop shop and people like that. Custom-home builders don’t usually follow that grid. Domenic is also a realtor’s friend. He requires five percent up front and pays realtors right away.” Domenic credits the company’s stability to his suppliers and his close, working relationships with S&T Bank, Enterprise Bank and Manor House Kitchens.

“I just happen to be a businessman who is also a builder,” Domenic said. “My father always told us to put money away in good times. If you make five dollars, spend two and save three.”

What’s Next
Domenic said Ricciuti Construction is always looking for land for a new subdivision. Location is the number one criteria closely followed by topography and the tax structure of both the municipality and the school district. He said the company would then decide the type of house that would be suitable for the land.

Ricciuti Construction probably won’t announce a new subdivision in 2009, but did not rule out 2010.“I am always looking,” Domenic said. “Now is the time to buy.” NH