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A RETURN TO THE COUNTRY
Blake Twedt
Founder — Transcendent, LLC
Having grown up in a small farming town 70 miles north of Chicago, it’s not surprising that longtime Tampa resident Blake Twedt heard the call to return to the country. This time, however, instead of fields dotted with cows, he is surrounded by rolling hills, jewel-toned leaves, flocks of wild turkeys and 160 species of birds.
After years of city life, Twedt now spends two-thirds of his time immersed in the solitude and scenery of the North Carolina mountains, where he is building two upscale communities in the town of Murphy. The master-planned communities, Overlook at Martin’s Creek and Overlook at Brasstown, each will feature nature trails, protected green space and common areas with timber-framed pavilions and oversized stone fireplaces. Twedt spends his time these days selecting ideal home sites to maximize the 30-40-mile tri-state views.
“I chose Murphy because it has a small town atmosphere, but is 30 minutes from the ’96 Olympic white water kayaking course and white water rapids,” said Twedt. “Two-thirds of Cherokee County is national forest so there are hiking trails, fly and trout fishing and great cycling trails used for the country’s largest bike race, the Tour of Georgia.”
Four 2,000 to 3,500-square-foot craftsmen style homes are currently under construction in Martin’s Creek, and construction just began on a home in the Brasstown development. Twedt says he will design and build at least half of the houses in each development to further shape their upscale, yet natural, appeal.
“Brasstown will be extremely private with long driveways with green mountain laurel and hemlock trees,” said Twedt. “On many of the home sites, you can’t even see the site next to you. It’s very different from other developments in the area.” Twedt has installed infrastructure including underground water, power, fiber-optic cabling and 20-foot wide roads.
Surprisingly, Twedt’s appreciation for the untarnished beauty of his surroundings isn’t dampened by the current real estate meltdown. “We have a long-term perspective,” said Twedt. “Although we hope it’s not necessary, our position would allow us to go for years without selling a lot. It will take a while for the market to work through some excesses, but we’re setting the bar at the high-end and think our unique offerings will speak for themselves.”
Twedt is an indisputable entrepreneurial spirit who spent the last 10 years in the telecommunications licensing business. He has always worked for himself, with one exception. After studying finance at Iowa State University, he turned his sights to military service in the mid-1980s.
After completing officer candidate school in Fort Benning, Georgia, Twedt was sent to West Germany as an Army quartermaster officer, where he supervised 53 soldiers and ran a warehouse that supplied tanks and helicopters throughout pre-democracy in Eastern Germany.
While there, Twedt played ice hockey in a European semi-professional league for a couple of seasons, a past-time he still enjoys today, as well as rugby, martial arts and reading. Twedt is also a generous philanthropist with a singular focus on helping the hungry and homeless in his community.
“I really believe that to whom much is given, much is expected,” said Twedt. “At the end of the day, it’s about what you have done for others that really matters.”
––Afton Burns
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