Cornerstone Craftsmen, Inc.

Integrity, Quality, and Value at the Cornerstone of Everything They Do!

Builder/Architect Magazine

"There is a right way and a wrong way.  Then there is the Clyde way."  Thought he says it jokingly, it is the standard of quality born of many years of experience that Clyde Clem of Cornerstone Craftsmen, Inc. has become known for among clients, subcontractors and peers.  It is also his unshakeable commitment to doing the job right that has no doubt been instrumental in leading the company to winning the prestigious Professionalism Award given by the Greater Atlanta Home Builder's Association for 3 consecutive years in the $650,000 to $999,999 category.  In 2002 and 2003, the company also received the Gold award for homes priced from 1 Million to 1.5 Million plus.  Two of their award winning homes have been  featured in Better Homes and Gardens Magazine. 

Because of his flexible schedule as an Eastern Airlines pilot, what started as a part-time hobby, part-time job with one or two custom homes a year became a full time effort after Eastern's demise in 1990.  As Clyde recalls, I made a phone call the very next day to my lender and he said, "I thought you would be calling."  We charted a course and have never looked back.  The first spec home he built was on Chaucer Lane near Ashford Dunwoody Road which sold for over $400,000 in 1984.  From there he completed six homes in the Medlock Bridge Road area of North Fulton.  It is this period in his building career that he refers to as  his "pioneering days" - named for the unscathed rural qualities of the area where frequent cattle and tractor crossings were the norm.  But it was in another North Fulton community where Cornerstone Craftsmen, Inc. would be catapulted into the high end Atlanta housing market where the company excells today.  A real estate agent whose client was impressed by the quality and detail of workmanship she had seen in the homes Cornerstone  built set up a meeting between Clyde, the developer of Country Club of the South and the client.  As Clyde remembers, "One thing lead to another and before I knew it we were being invited to build in the CCOS, subsequently as a "Featured Builder".  It was an opportunity of distinguished honor since building in the development was by invitation only.  The first home began in the $700,000 price range, and before long, Cornerstone had completed many homes in the gated community with prices topping one millions dollars.  The company subsequently built many other homes of distinction in Decatur (Smoke Rise), North Fulton (Tullamore), and Cobb County (Bayswater, Avignon, Estates of Chimney Lakes, Parkside at Old Mountain, Madison Hall, and Riverside Estates.)

Cornerstone's most recent venture, Brookshyre Manor, an enclave of 18 custom designed homes in East Cobb County beginning in the $900,000's, was 50% pre-sold even before the roads were paved.  On this project, Cornerstone is both the developer and the builder.  The design of the homes is English Manor and Country French, two styles that Clyde gained an appreciation for during his travels as a captain for Eastern Airlines and as a Lt. Colonel in the U.S. Air Force.  As Clyde says, "While my comrades spent their off-duty time elsewhere, I was out looking at architecture to see how structures were built.  I have done this in 84 countries."

A self-described purist, Clyde has a great amount of respect for the Greeks and the Romans, who formulated the architectural theories of proportion and mass.  He has developed a "sixth sense" regarding these standards; he knows when it is right and he knows when it is not.  Another underlying force is the axiom first coined by the famous architect Louis Sullivan - "Form Forever Follows Function" - a principle that states the end purpose for a building should be a starting point for its design.

That is where his wife Carole enters.  As Clyde says, "Carole is the eyes and ears of the business.  She spends considerable time studying trends to discover what issues are important to today's homebuyer as they go through the planning phase of the home."  It is many of Carole's special touches that Clyde believes differentiates Cornerstone's homes from those of other builders.  Quick to give Carole credit for the company's success, Clyde explains, "When you get behind the front door - room size, space definition, flow pattern - it is all Carole."  As a testament to the creativity that both Clyde and Carole bring to the job, during more than 32 years of building they have never built the same house twice.  As Cornerstone homeowners Robert and Laura Abernathy describe their homebuilding experience, "They never say no - they always found a way to make the custom features happen."

Three years ago when their son Lee joined the business, Cornerstone became an even larger family.  Growing up in a generation that has seen significant changes in technology, Lee has been instrumental in bringing this new technology to the homes.  Lee's wife, Kellie, will also be joining the business soon after completing her Master's Degree in Interior Design and obtaining the ASID designation. 

It was no accident that Clyde and Carole chose the name "Cornerstone Craftsmen" for their company when they incorporated in 1984.  Guided by their strong faith in God, giving back is a very important part of their business philosophy.  Their hands and hearts are always open to others.  Cornerstone has donated materials, labor, and funds for various church and community projects for many years to help people in need.  They also sponsor a little league baseball team.  Homeowners John and Lynne Buchanan attest to this commitment, "We chose Cornerstone as our builder because we felt an instant connection and admired their integrity.  We consider it a real blessing to have found them."

Clyde also believes in doing things right from the ground up.  He as practicing the principles of "green" building long before it became a buzzword in the industry.  As an effort to incorporate higher standards in the area of water conservation, the entire subdivision of Brookshyre Manor is irrigated by water from three deep wells.  Considering regional droughts and resulting water restrictions that have occurred over the last few years, Clyde felt the wells were the best solution for keeping the landscape lush and green.  Throughout the development process, Clyde has worked diligently to save trees by digging them up and replanting them on site.  The trees that were not salvagable were ground up and used as mulch to keep mud from staining the exterior of the homes.

With their son Lee on board, Clyde and Carole are excited about the future opportunities for their company here in Atlanta and in Highlands, North Carolina, where they look forward to building homes on lots acquired in Highlands Cove, a golf course development community.  Locally, Cornerstone will be opening a new subdivision with 24 homes in East Cobb named "Heathermoor".

As the company evolves and a new generation gets more involved, Clyde foresees a day where he might slow down but knows that he will always have a "hand on the hammer." With a zest for building and a zest for life, Clyde Clem's personal viewpoint is this, "If it's not fun, it's not worth doing, and I have a real good time doing what I do."  And it shows!



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