Lee Cunningham | BT Metals / Bay Tank & Boiler Works
This Women in Construction Week, we are proud to spotlight Lee Cunningham, whose leadership is guiding one of Humboldt County’s most established industrial businesses into an exciting new era.
BT Metals / Bay Tank & Boiler Works is a family-owned, fully certified fabrication and metal sales company with deep roots in our region. Founded by J. Chris Lovfald after World War II to serve the structural needs of the lumber and fishing industries, Bay Tank has provided quality service to Humboldt County for more than sixty years. The company proudly operates under California Contractor’s State License Board #273749 — the same license under which it was originally founded.
Chris’s motto was simple: quality service at an affordable price.
In 1956, he was joined by his son-in-law, Darrel Cunningham, and together they incorporated the business. Darrel later became President and successfully carried the company into the 21st century. Today, Bay Tank remains family-owned, operating in the same location and guided by the same founding principles of service, integrity, and customer commitment.
In recent years, the company expanded into metal distribution under the name BT Metals, becoming the only metal distributor in Eureka. The company now supplies five major markets:
Energy, Construction, Defense, Transportation, and Marine.
Under Lee Cunningham’s leadership, BT Metals is expanding beyond Humboldt County to serve the entire West Coast — and nationally — with a goal of becoming a diversity supplier for all things metal. The company holds certifications including:
Small Business Enterprise (SBE)
Woman Business Enterprise (WBE)
HUBZone
CPUC Woman-Owned Business
New York Port Authority
VTA
Despite this growth, BT Metals remains committed to its core values: exceptional customer service and pride in its legacy.
Lee is passionate about the future of construction.
“Construction is where people need to be,” she says. “It’s volatile and exciting. It’s the most fun experience in the world. Compared to where it was 30 years ago, the doors are opening for women.”
Her mission is clear: level the playing field and bring talent into the industry — women and men alike.
“It’s the greatest business in America,” Lee shares. “You get to use your head and your hands to build a better country. I would tell any young woman — it’s the place to be.”
As BT Metals continues to grow its footprint, Lee Cunningham is helping shape a more inclusive, dynamic future for construction — right here from Humboldt County.
