Equipment Depot Names CEO

Kelly Kunka

March 25, 2008 • Equipment Depot founder Don Moes announced that Kelly Kunka has been promoted to president and CEO of the Waco-based regional forklift, aerial lift, tractor and materials handling equipment company.

Kunka joined Equipment Depot in 1995 to help start up the company's “greenfield” entry into the San Antonio market. He worked in the positions of rental sales, service sales, equipment sales and branch management. He has served the company as chief operating officer since 1999. 

Moes will continue to serve as chairman of Equipment Depot. In addition, he will continue to be involved in the forklift and construction equipment industries through Equipment Depot's parent company, Pon North America, to help develop its four other material handling companies in the United States. Pon North America is a privately held company that operates five forklift dealerships in the eastern and southwest United States with annual revenues of more than $450 million.

 

Don Moes

“After more than 40 years in the equipment industry I felt I was ready to devote more time to civic projects in Waco,” Moes said. “This community has been very good to my company and my family, and I want to contribute what I can in return. In addition, I believe that when the next generation of leadership is trained and ready to take control, you need to step aside and let them take the reins.”

 

“Don grew this business from two stores and seven employees operating on a shoestring as Central Texas ClarkLift in 1975 to a 12-store regional powerhouse approaching $200 million in revenue and more than 600 employees today,” Kunka said. “Equipment Depot is now one of the largest material-handling companies in Texas.”

 

“I believe we represent the best brands and have the best people in the industry,” Kunka continued. “We have positioned the company to meet the challenges of competition and consolidation in our industry, and we are prepared to continue to grow in each of our business segments.”

 

Kunka is a native of the Texas panhandle and graduate of Texas Tech. Following his graduation from Texas Tech, he worked as an avionics engineer for General Dynamics in Fort Worth, and as a loss control consultant with Factory Mutual Engineering in the D-FW metroplex.

 

Kunka is also an active civic volunteer in Waco. He serves on the Midway ISD

Education Foundation Board, Providence Advisory Board, Ridgewood Country Club Board and is a past member of the Waco Rotary Club.

 

Today, Equipment Depot represents more than 30 industry-leading manufacturers and its unique race truck service vans are a familiar sight throughout Texas, southern Oklahoma and southwestern Lousianna. It operates 12 forklift and materials handling equipment superstores that sell, service and rent forklifts and other equipment from the Red River to the Rio Grande in Texas. In addition, it operates a separate tire and battery center in Dallas.  It also operates forklift service depots strategically located along the Interstate 35 corridor, the Rio Grande valley and the Gulf Coast in Abilene, Brownwood, Bryan-College Station, Corsicana, Del Rio, Denton, Killeen, Paris, San Angelo, Temple and Victoria Texas as well as Lake Charles, Louisiana.