A Partnership for the American Dream

Rocco Ayvazov was just 21 years old when he emigrated from Bulgaria to the U.S., arriving with nothing in his pockets and settling in Pennsylvania.

His first job—one of three he worked—was making American flags for a manufacturer. He also held down jobs as a busboy and a dishwasher. His hard work caught the attention of a gentleman who offered him a union job with a commercial-boiler manufacturer, and in his spare time, Rocco convinced a fellow Bulgarian to teach him his trade—framing houses. As they say, the rest is history.

It was about seven years later that Rocco bought and flipped his first house, converting it from a one- to two-family unit. One investment led to more and along the way, Rocco met Don Wenner. Within a few years, DLP Capital and Rocco had teamed on more than a hundred single-family home investments—all affordably priced for the local workforce.

But, when Rocco looked to segue into multifamily, he needed to up his game. “Don was looking out for me, telling me, ‘This is a different level now, what you’re trying to do.’ He gave me advice on my budget, which helped make my deal a success. After that, everything began to fit naturally with DLP.”

Rocco Ayvazov became an Elite Member of DLP Capital. “DLP came in to help with my business structure, culture, values . . . Everything starts with a leader and DLP helped me with steps to become a leader.”

Now, Rocco says,

“I’m living the American dream. Everyone is given opportunities in life. Even if I had to bus tables for the rest of my life, I was willing to do that if it meant it might give opportunities to my children or grandchildren. Luckily enough, I met people like Don.”

Monocacy General Contracting now owns and manages more than 115 apartments and homes, with an additional 400+ units under construction, and the firm has completed over 750 single-family renovations. Rocco remains living in the Lehigh Valley with his wife and two sons.