The Power of Employee-Ownership

Midway through their careers, Bill Roark and Don Holder had both worked for a highly successful company when it was sold. For months, Roark invited Holder to breakfast and discussed starting a new company with him. Both had felt they had made commitments to valued employees in the past that they were powerless to honor after the acquisition. To prevent a similar situation from occurring in the future, Roark and Holder envisioned a business that would become an employee owned company through which its employees would have better control of their destinies. Through a phone call on his way to the University of Oklahoma for an Alabama Crimson Tide football game, Holder finally accepted Roark's offer to join the startup in early September 2002. The new company started in a modest suite at 2705 Artie St. that included a few offices and a conference room. The night before, "the company didn't even have desks," said Roark, who bought and assembled some desks from Staples and also purchased some used furniture.

Since those early days, the company's success has skyrocketed. Torch Technologies has more than 1,200 employee owners and finished 2020 with $550 million in revenue, making Torch one of the largest federal contractors in the nation. We believe that level of success is achieved by giving every employee owner a stake in the outcome.

Torch Becomes Public Benefit Corporation

October 2023

Torch's 20th Anniversary

October 2, 2022

Torch 20 Years Strong Logo

Torch Achieves Certified Evergreen™ Status

March 7, 2022

Torch achieved Certified Evergreen™ status from Tugboat Institute, recognizing Torch’s commitment to remain a privately owned company.

Honolulu, HI Office Opened

July 1, 2020

Detroit, MI Office Opened

January 31, 2020

Waltham, MA Office Opened

January 1, 2019

Groundbreaking on New Lab and Solutions Facility

April 13, 2018

Pax River, MD Office Opened

November 1, 2017

Torch’s 15th Anniversary

October 2, 2017

Aberdeen, MD Office Opened

August 1, 2017

500 Employees

July 1, 2016

Albuquerque, NM Office Opened

June 6, 2016

TMAS Armament Task Order Added 100+ Employees to Shalimar, FL Location

April 8, 2016

Moved Into New Corporate Headquarters Building

October 14, 2015

Located at 4090 South Memorial Parkway

Groundbreaking on Corporate Headquarters Renovation and New Conference Center: The Freedom Center

March 20, 2015

Torch In Action Was Formed

August 1, 2014

Service arm of Torch Helps, previously Torch Gives

Shalimar, FL Office Opened

July 1, 2014

Achieved 100% Employee and ESOP Ownership

January 24, 2014

Colorado Springs Office Opened

April 3, 2013

Aviation Division Achieves CMMI Level 3 Rating

July 12, 2012

250 Employees

March 16, 2012

Achieved 100% Employee Ownership

December 31, 2011

Passed $1B in Awarded Prime Contract/Task Order Ceiling

March 15, 2011

Optical Research and Calibration Laboratory Opened

May 31, 2010

Received ISO 9001 Certification

March 10, 2010

Employees Adopted Core Attributes

December 6, 2008

Innovation, Cooperation, Expertise, Customer Focus, Excellence, Integrity, and Reliability

First Major Prime Award

June 30, 2008

SSDD TO 1- $180M Ceiling

Corporate Offices Relocated to 4035 Chris Drive

June 30, 2005

Torch Helps Was Established

June 16, 2005

Fifty Employees

May 31, 2004

Employee Stock Option Plan (ESOP) Was Effective

January 1, 2004

First Prime Contract

March 12, 2003

Torch Technologies Was Founded

October 2, 2002