The Builders Association of the Blue Ridge Mountains (BABRM) is growing, and quickly. In 2025 alone, the organization added more than 170 members, expanding its network to more than 1,300 professionals across Western North Carolina.
Tammy Potter, Business Development Manager with Best Buy Metals, is one of those new members, and she has quickly made an impact.
In her first year with BABRM, Potter built momentum quickly, connecting with fellow members, leaning into volunteer opportunities, and becoming someone people recognized across the organization. Potter’s early involvement earned her the 2025 New Member of the Year award.
“It is deeply humbling,” Potter says of receiving the honor. “Personally, it feels like affirmation that leading with heart and consistency still matters. Professionally, it reflects the values of the family-owned company I represent and the relationships built alongside our builders and partners. I see this recognition as shared.”
A Foundation Rooted in Craftsmanship
Potter’s family tree is heavy with engineers, architects, and skilled craftsmen, so conversations growing up focused on “how things were built, why details mattered, and how taking pride in your work was part of everyday life,” she says.
Even so, Potter spent most of her career running creative agencies and leading big-box retail operations, working far from the day-to-day rhythm of a jobsite. It wasn’t until midlife that she found her way back to those roots, stepping into her current role with Asheville-based Best Buy Metals, a family-owned manufacturer and provider of metal roofing and siding components.
“My path was not linear, and I am grateful for that,” she says. “I started in creative and design roles, moved into leadership, and eventually into business development within manufacturing.”
Today, Potter works closely with contractors to provide the materials and support they need to keep projects on track.
“Business development is about helping people solve real problems, not just moving product,” she says. “My strength is connecting builders, trades, and community partners with a local resource they can trust.”
Showing Up When It Matters
That commitment to relationships became especially clear in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, as builders across Western North Carolina worked through supply challenges, shifting timelines, and the urgent demands of recovery work.
Potter and her team at Best Buy Metals stepped in quickly.
“As a manufacturer, we were able to donate roofing for hundreds of tiny homes and temporary shelters so families had safe cover during a really uncertain time,” she says. “We also partnered with grassroots nonprofits to donate full roofing systems for permanent homes, helping neighbors return to the place that matters most: their safe place.”
But the help did not stop with roofs. Best Buy Metals also supported local college trades programs and supported community meal distributions.
“None of this was done for recognition,” Potter says. “It was done because we are local. This is our home. These are our neighbors. We truly believe in neighbors helping neighbors.”
More Than a Membership
Potter also believes in supporting her fellow members of the Builders Association of the Blue Ridge Mountains (BABRM).
Since joining BABRM, she has embraced opportunities to connect with builders, trades professionals, and local businesses while supporting initiatives that strengthen the industry as a whole.
“BABRM reflects what makes Western North Carolina special,” Potter says. “It brings together people who care deeply about craftsmanship, community, and doing right by their neighbors. Through education, collaboration, and meaningful connections, it has created a space where relationships grow and shared values lead the way.”
Potter adds, “Being part of an organization so rooted in community has shaped how I show up, not just as a behind-the-scenes partner, but as a neighbor invested in the long-term health of our industry.”
Join a Network of Industry Leaders
The Builders Association of the Blue Ridge Mountains is powered by members committed to strengthening Western North Carolina’s building industry. Join BABRM to connect with fellow professionals, expand your network, and support initiatives that help shape the future of building in our region.
