Forty years teaches us that it’s not about us
We’ve been here as a company all these years because we love helping other families create memories here on the Outer Banks. We’re convinced that every quick-tell-the-family reservation, every jump-up-and-down arrival, and every shoulder-slumped departure is about people pausing in time to share a moment and mutually acknowledging its’ value.
All those beautiful smiles
Finding the perfect photos that convey the beauty of the Outer Banks and the energy unique to a vacation can sometimes be a challenge. Our ally is Ray Matthews, a local OBX photographer. Years ago, he advised us to consider scheduling a photo shoot with him. He would spend time with us and provide as many photos as possible. We began hosting photo shoots and asking our staff and their families to come play and smile for the camera.
Beginning in 2001, around the time of year that sea oats turned a golden hue, we would spend a day on the beach taking pictures. They would become the fabulous photos that would be chosen every year to use in our rental brochures, print marketing materials, and on twiddy.com. They tell many wonderful stories and are an archive of our company history.
We pay tribute to photographer Ray Matthews: to his talent, to his remarkable good nature and his great eye. He showed up and worked with us in blistering heat. We laughed and gulped down waters and gatorades. It was a great partnership and many people in the Twiddy circle have treasured photos in their homes from those shoots.
The Beginning
1970's
A time of beginnings. A bold generation takes a leap of faith and opens an office in Duck that is just on the cusp of morphing from a sleepy fishing village into a vacation destination. The office is tiny. There is one phone line. It would be years before someone suggested investing in a computer. One relationship at a time, the business earned trust and respect from those that gave them a chance.
1980's
All dollars are reinvested in the company to keep it growing. Good business savvy and always the drive to try new things kept it succeeding. Many people shared in opportunities. The small villages of Duck, Corolla, Swan Beach and Carova began to turn up in coastal vacation conversations.
1990's
Operating in a very competitive market, we worked together to identify ways to stand apart. The rental brochure went to full color, aerial maps were introduced in order to clarify home locations to guests. Time and dollars are invested in training staff to offer hospitality. And always, time is committed to nurturing the concept of respect within our team.
2000's
The second generation steers the company into the digital age. They develop relationships with other partners to create and innovate. They work to honor the values of a family business that has earned a reputation for excellence. Understanding and conveying to their employees the great privilege of handling a vacation for people anticipating for a year, time spent with their families.
2010's
Doug Twiddy steps back and encourages his sons, Clark and Ross Twiddy, to work with the passion that has driven him. They continue to find the most innovative tools to keep their homeowners informed, to make their homes competitive and honor their investment. They look for innovations to help their staff work smarter. They strive to translate respect for their guests and honor the worth of a vacation. They look to the lessons learned over 40 years. It is all about the people. Surround yourself with the most talented people and let them grow. And don’t just get something done, get it done right.
A little cottage in Duck
My dad discovered Duck in the seventies – it was a closer drive than Avon and we became as the motto goes “Stuck in Duck”. We loved the campground, which is today Sea Pines. My family helped those little pines survive. Every camper was asked to water the tiny pines on their campsites and today they make up the trees in the subdivision. But in the 70’s we loved the openness – frontier of this area. My parents always got a campsite that was on the northeast corner of the campground and as close to the oceanfront as we could get.
We loved the beaches in Duck and the miles and miles of nothing but sea and sand and very few people other than campers. We loved our summers in Duck and you can imagine our surprise when we arrived one summer and there were houses going up next to the campground in what is today Ocean Dunes. It wasn’t long before our family was checking out those houses and by the 80’s we were renting a modest cottage from Twiddy & Company in Carolina Dunes known as The Comforter. Running water, air-conditioning – those were the real amenities back then!
Years later I surprised my family with a long weekend at “our old campsite” in Sea Pines. Our little pine trees had grown up just like we had – our family has grown but we still enjoyed the views, the beach and the sunshine from the deck of this oceanfront cottage. Duck has changed over the decades but one thing still remains the same and rings true – it’s a wonderful vacation destination.
- Carole Thompson
For forty years, we have watched generations of sunscreened children grow in plain sight and return years later with their own children to seek again those same moments they held so dear of their own parents and grandparents.
