The Builders Association of the Blue Ridge Mountains (BABRM) and its members earned 39 of the 86 honors presented at this year’s North Carolina STARS Awards, bringing nearly half of the statewide awards home to Western North Carolina.
Presented August 31 by the North Carolina Home Builders Association during its annual gala in Charlotte, the STARS Awards recognize excellence in homebuilding, remodeling, design, marketing, and other areas of the industry. BABRM members were honored in categories ranging from custom homes and whole-home remodels to sustainability, interior design, sales, and marketing.
The STARS Awards were one of two major honors BABRM celebrated in August. Executive Officer Megan Carroll was also named National Executive Officer of the Year by the National Association of Home Builders, making her the sole recipient of the honor across a federation of 700 state and local home builders associations. Carroll was recognized during NAHB’s 2026 Association Management Conference, held August 25-27 in St. Louis.
“To have our association and members recognized in so many different categories says a lot about the caliber of work happening in Western North Carolina,” said Mark Gould, this year’s president of BABRM. “Our members care deeply about their craft, their clients, and the communities they help build. Megan brings that same commitment to leading and strengthening our association.”
BABRM and Members Earn 39 Statewide Awards
Five of BABRM’s 39 awards recognized the association itself, including its work in communications, marketing, membership, events, and community engagement:
- Best HBA Publication
- Best HBA Marketing Campaign
- Best Membership Recruitment or Retention Initiative
- Best HBA Event Marketing
- Best HBA Community Project or Program
The other 34 awards went to 18 BABRM member companies, with winning work spanning custom construction, remodeling, interior design, green building, sales, and marketing:
- Alair Asheville | Red Tree: Best Video Project for a Builder; Best Interior Merchandising for a Home Under 2,500 Square Feet; Best Green Home Feature; and Best Whole Home Remodel Between $250,000 and $500,000
- Buchanan Construction: Best Interior Merchandising for a Home Over 4,001 Square Feet; Best Interior Design for a Home Over 4,001 Square Feet; Best Swimming Pool; Best Bathroom Remodel Under $100,000; Best Addition; and Best One-of-a-Kind Home
- Build Modular: Best Brochure or Newsletter for an Associate
- CJM Communities NC: Best Single-Family Custom Home Over 5,500 Square Feet
- cLearn LLC: Best Video Project for an Associate
- FS Design Group: Best Interior Design for a Home Under 2,500 Square Feet
- ID.ology Interiors & Design: Best Kitchen Remodel Over $150,000
- Living Stone Design + Build: Best Sustainable Project and Best Single-Family Custom Home Between 3,501 and 4,500 Square Feet
- Lobo Builders: Best Marketing Campaign for a Builder
- Mountain Sun Building & Design: Best Green Single-Family Home
- Osada Construction: Best One-of-a-Kind Home Remodel
- Sage Cabinetry & Custom Spaces: Best Kitchen Remodel Under $150,000
- Scroggs Construction Services: Best Home Exterior Transformation and Best Whole Home Remodel Under $250,000
- Semper Fi Custom Remodeling: Sales Professional of the Year, awarded to RJ Crai; Sales Team of the Year, awarded to Ben Rowland and RJ Crai; Construction Manager of the Year, awarded to Kenny Duffield IV; Best Outdoor Kitchen; Best Specialty Construction Project; and Best Bathroom Remodel Over $100,000
- Sineath Construction Company: Best Whole Home Remodel Between $500,000 and $750,000
- Sycamore Builders: Best Green Home Remodel and Best Aging in Place or Accessibility Residential Remodel
- Terra Futura Regenerative Neighborhood: Best Advertisement for a Community
- TwinBrother Builders: Best Room Remodel
Megan Carroll Named National Executive Officer of the Year
While the STARS Awards celebrated excellence across the region’s building industry, Carroll’s national recognition reflects the leadership behind BABRM’s own evolution.
Since Carroll took the helm in 2019, membership has increased from roughly 800 to more than 1,300, making BABRM the 14th-largest home builders association in the country.
Carroll also helped lead the merger of the Asheville and Henderson-Transylvania home builders associations, bringing the two organizations together under a new regional identity. Under her leadership, BABRM has expanded its advocacy, workforce development efforts, educational programs, and community partnerships, all while navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, rising construction costs, a regional housing shortage, and the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
“Megan has helped BABRM grow in both size and purpose,” Gould said. “She understands what our members need, but she also sees the larger role our association can play in strengthening the industry and serving Western North Carolina. She has a gift for bringing people together, turning ideas into action, and making sure others have opportunities to lead.”
