About Cornerstone Equipment

Cornerstone Equipment was started as Cornerstone Industrial Services, LLC. in 2009 as an industrial equipment service company by Bryan and Kathy Ponder. After much prayer and consideration, Bryan and Kathy trusted in God and took a leap of faith by starting their own business. Bryan had a "non-compete" at the time, preventing him from selling/servicing competitive equipment for 1 year. So he bought a used service truck, broke out the tech. uniforms again (after 10 years in sales), and starting working on any equipment he could (including tractors!). Kathy fired up her accounting part of her brain again and converted Bryan's old office at home into her office. A couple years later, Bryan and Kathy built a 60'x40' service shop behind their house in Crittenden, KY, and starting working on material handling/construction equipment and reconditioning used forklifts and scissor lifts. 

6 years later, the business had grown to 15 employees, with staff covering sales, parts, shop service, field service, and warehouse equipment projects. The business had outgrown the pole barn behind the house, so the Ponders sought out and purchased 16 acres in Dry Ridge, KY to build a new service shop at. During this time, Cornerstone secured a deal with CLARK forklift to become the exclusive CLARK dealer for all of Northern and Central Kentucky.

In August 2018, upon opening the new facility in Dry Ridge, Cornerstone started doing business as "Cornerstone Equipment". This change was to best reflect the broad range of equipment we would sell and service out of this new dealership outside of just industrial equipment. We became a dealer for Mahindra tractors, ASV Loaders, Exmark mowers and more. In the next year, we would become a dealer for Stihl Power products Bad Boy mowers, and more.

In 2022, we expanded our business into two new locations: Franklin Furnace, OH and Dillsboro, IN, supporting products like Mahindra and Deutz-Fahr tractors, Exmark and Bad Boy Mowers, and more.

In 2024, we expanded our business again, by adding a 4th dealership location in Frankfort, KY, in order to serve Central Kentucky better. We employ more than 50 team members full-time and continue to grow as one of the fastest growing equipment dealers in the region.

You won't find Bryan and Kathy at the dealership as much as they used to be as they take on new roles as grandparents, having 8 new grandchildren in the last 3 years! Bryan and Kathy both retain the titles of "Founder", while Bryan assumes the position of Chairman at Cornerstone, setting the bar for company culture. Devin Ponder(Bryan and Kathy's son), now holds the title of "President/CEO" and is responsible for overseeing the day to day operations of all 4 Cornerstone locations, while leading Cornerstone into the future.

We are a family-owned and faith-driven business of Blue Collar Professionals, aiming to provide the highest level of support to our customers and give God glory in everything we do.

We welcome you to our family of dealerships, where you can test drive and demo any of the equipment we sell on our well-maintained properties in Dry Ridge, KY, Dillsboro, IN, Franklin Furnace, OH and now Frankfort, KY. Come check out our state-of-the-art service facilities, where we can work on just about anything you bring to us!

More than anything, thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve you. All Glory to God.

-The Ponders