John Watson

HUNTSVILLE, Ala., April 3, 2024 – Starfish Holdings (Starfish), the parent company of Torch Technologies (Torch), Freedom Real Estate & Capital, LLC (Freedom), and SIMVANA today announced that Co-Founder and CEO Bill Roark has stepped down as CEO and has assumed the role of Chairman of the Board. Starfish President John Watson has been promoted to CEO.

Bill Roark

Roark’s move to Chairman of the Board will enable him to dedicate more time to the operations of Freedom, a wholly owned subsidiary of Starfish. Freedom is experiencing rapid growth and has recently announced two new development projects. These include a 54,000 square-foot, Class A office building at Hays Farm, the first of its kind in south Huntsville in the last three decades, and a 105,000 square-foot facility, the first of five buildings, in the Freedom Industrial Park in north Huntsville.

“Long-term succession planning is critical for companies to maintain their growth trajectory, “said Starfish Co-Founder and CEO Bill Roark. “Growth from within is critical to maintaining the special culture we have created across our portfolio of companies. John has done an exceptional job of leading Torch while serving as president of both Starfish and SIMVANA. He is the perfect choice for CEO and will continue the success of Starfish and our portfolio of companies moving forward.”

As CEO of Starfish, Watson will provide strategic leadership and assume day-to-day operations of the company. A key element of his position will be balancing the opportunities and risks for the Employee Stock Ownership Program which serves all the Starfish portfolio companies.

“I am excited to assume the role of CEO for Starfish Holdings,” said Starfish President John Watson. “I look forward to seeking more opportunities where our portfolio companies can work together to provide our customers with even greater value.”

In addition to his new role as CEO of Starfish, Watson will continue to serve as President of SIMVANA. The role of Torch President Brad Walker will remain unchanged. Watson was named President of Starfish in 2023. He has also served as both President and CEO of Torch Technologies since 2018. Prior to this appointment, he held a number of senior leadership roles within the company including President, Vice President of business development, and program manager for the Scalable Simulation Program with the USA AMRDEC.

Watson has nearly four decades of experience in the defense industry spanning many roles in project engineering support, line and program management, and corporate management. He holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Auburn University and a M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Florida.

Torch Technologies (Torch), a 100% employee-owned technology services and solutions company, has been awarded the coveted North Alabama Better Business Bureau’s Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics in the Government Contractor category for 2020.

With this year’s recognition, Torch is now the only four-time recipient of the North Alabama Better Business Bureau’s Torch Award, having also won this award in the Mid-size Company category in 2005, the Large-size Company category in 2009, and the Government Contractor category in 2015.

Presented annually, the BBB Torch Award honors businesses that demonstrate exceedingly high standards of behavior toward customers, employees, suppliers, shareholders and communities; adherence to truthful and honorable advertising and sales practices; and an earned reputation for noteworthy contributions to their industries and the communities in which they do business. In lieu of the traditional annual awards luncheon, this year, due to COVID-19, winners were presented their awards at their place of business.

The Torch Award is designed to promote not only the importance of ethical business practices, but the willingness and efforts made by outstanding businesses to ensure that our country’s marketplace remains fair and honorable for all Americans. Candidates for the Torch Award were nominated and given the opportunity to submit information regarding their ethical relationships with customers, employees, and vendors. A prestigious panel comprised of representatives of the academic and business community judged the 26 entries from businesses and organizations that accepted their nomination and provided an entry for the Torch Award.

“We are honored to receive this prestigious recognition from the Better Business Bureau of North Alabama,” said Torch President and CEO John Watson. “The BBB upholds a national standard for enterprise and ethics, and we feel that receiving the Torch Award is one of the highest compliments that could be paid to us.”

The BBB awarded the 2020 Torch Award for Ethics to: Jackson Plumbing, Heating & Cooling in the Small Business Category (1-25 employees); Lanier Ford Shaver & Payne P.C. in the Mid-Size Company Category (26-99 employees); Farmers Telecommunication Cooperative in the Large Business Category (100+ employees), Torch Technologies in the Government Contractor Category; and Ethic Tech in the Veteran-Owned Category.

Construction is progressing on the new 4040 Chris Drive multi-tenant facility, and to celebrate the placement of the final beam, Freedom Real Estate and Capital, Invariant Corporation, and Torch Technologies hosted a Steel Topping Out ceremony on Friday, November 20, 2020 at 11:00 AM. In building construction, topping out is a builders’ rite traditionally held when the last beam is placed atop a structure during its construction. Due to COVID restrictions, this event was held privately.

The event began with a welcome from Huntsville Madison County Chamber CEO Chip Cherry and Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle. Next, we heard from property developer Freedom Real Estate & Capital CEO, Bill Roark, as well as from representatives of the tenants of the new facility, Invariant Corporation Director of Advanced Technology, John Montgomery, and Torch Technologies Senior Director, Brady Porter. Turner Construction’s Project Executive Brandon Tucker provided ceremony history, and Turner raised the final beam atop the structure.

“Congratulations to our design and construction partners for keeping the project on schedule and moving forward safely during COVID,” said Freedom Real Estate & Capital’s Director of Capital Projects, Lee Holland. The design is led by Arcspace Studio and construction is led by Turner Construction Company. The project has achieved 25,000 work hours to date with no lost time accidents or injuries.    

The 4040 Chris Drive Development is a multi-tenant building that will house up to 92,000 square feet and will feature a mix of office, research and development labs, light manufacturing, assembly, and integration space along with a high bay. The new mixed-use facility in South Huntsville has a completion date of early summer 2021.

OASIS is considered a Best-in-Class, Tier 3 contract by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).  It is a multiple award, Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract that provides flexible contracting solutions and is available for use Government-wide to procure professional, scientific, and technical services support.  The scope of OASIS spans many areas of expertise and includes any and all components required to formulate a total solution to a professional services based requirement, including, but are not limited to: Communication, Compliance, Defense, Disaster, Energy, Environment, Financial, Health, Intelligence, Security, and Transportation.

“Torch has worked through the GSA to support many of our Government customers since our inception,” said Torch President and CEO John Watson, “and as one of only 21 companies to receive multiple pool awards, we are honored to be able to continue to expand our support of GSA’S OASIS.”

Torch President and CEO John Watson stated, “On behalf of our employee-owners, we are honored that the confidence placed in us by our services and solutions DoD customers has resulted in Torch being recognized for the sixth year as one of the largest professional services prime contractors to the Federal Government.”

See the complete list at Washington Technology 2020 Top 100.

Torch Technologies (Torch) planned to host its 10^th annual golf tournament in Huntsville this year, but in consideration of the current COVID-19 pandemic and safety concerns, instead hosted a virtual fundraiser for Village of Promise. Torch and previous golf tournament sponsors are collectively making a big difference, helping ease the funding shortfall at Village of Promise due to COVID-19. Through the combined generosity of previous golf tournament sponsors (listed below), Torch’s employee-owners, retirees, and Board of Directors, as well as employee-owners of our sister and parent companies Freedom Real Estate & Capital and Starfish Holdings, Torch was able to raise $100,000 for Village of Promise.

“We believe in giving back to the communities our employee-owners call home. By investing in the education and support of the children in our community, we aim to provide a better future for all our community’s residents,” said Torch President and CEO John Watson.  “We are so grateful to our sponsors and employee-owners for sharing that vision with us and joining us in support of Village of Promise. With the uncertainty surrounding this virus, it is so important for our community to come together in support of our local nonprofit organizations to help ease any funding concerns they may be experiencing.”

Torch and representatives from the many sponsoring companies presented the $100,000 check to Village of Promise at the Freedom Center on the Torch Technologies campus on September 1, 2020. All proceeds from the fundraiser benefited the Village of Promise and its mission to eradicate generational poverty one neighborhood at a time. The Village of Promise helps children of all ages receive support to help them achieve educational success from early childhood in their Infant University program to college and beyond.

“The community that was hardest hit by the COVID shutdown is the community that we directly serve at Village of Promise,” explained Village of Promise Executive Director Dr. Libby Parker. She continued, “We serve families and scholars from the most impoverished community in Huntsville, so it has been essential to help them get back on their feet and sustain their families during this unprecedented time. The funding provided by Torch and their partners is going directly to the hardest hit areas to combat poverty, and we couldn’t do it without them.”

Thank you to our Village of Promise Fundraiser Sponsors:

Presenting Sponsors: Torch Technologies (Torch), Torch Employee-Owners, Retirees, and Board of Directors, Freedom Real Estate & Capital Employee-Owners and Board of Directors, Starfish Holdings Employee-Owners and Board of Directors

Diamond Sponsors: Applied Analytical Solutions, Crossflow Technologies

Platinum Sponsors: Bradley, Essential Ingredients

Gold Sponsors: Avion Solutions, CFD Research, Cintel, Inc., ERC, Gayle T. Milton, CLU ChFC, , Hill Technical Solutions Inc, Integration Innovation Inc. (i3), IBERIABANK, Invariant Corporation, IronMountain Solutions, Inc., ISSAC Corp., Maynard Cooper & Gale, NTA, Inc., Parsons, Progress Bank, Progress Financial Services, Synovus Bank, Wavelink, Inc., Willbrook Solutions, Inc.

Silver Sponsors: Aegis Technologies, BRPH, J. Smith Lanier and Company, KODA Technologies, Millennium Engineering and Integration, SimTech, Turner Construction

Refreshment Sponsors: ArcSpace Studio, Connor Group LLC, Reliant Technologies, Inc.

Hole Sponsors: BB&T, Chris Patty, Christopherson Travel, Campus No. 805, Conditioned Air Solutions, DESE Research, Inc., DW Design LLC, Indoff Inc., Monte Sano Research Corporation (MSRC), nLogic Inc., PeopleTec, Inc., Principal, Redstone Federal Credit Union, The Lioce Group

About Village of Promise – Village of Promise serves the needs of children and families from cradle to college to career in distressed neighborhoods. Education, health, enrichment programs and family support services are simply what they do to help each child succeed in school. Their initial efforts are focused in the neighborhood surrounding University Place Elementary School, Montview Elementary School, Westlawn Middle School and Butler High School. To learn more about the Village of Promise go to www.villagepromise.com

Of the tens of thousands of companies that have applied to the Inc. 5000, 0.02% have made the list 14 times.

Inc. magazine today revealed that Torch Technologies, a 100% employee-owned technology services and solutions company headquartered in Huntsville, is No. 4313 on its annual Inc. 5000 list, the most prestigious ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies.

Torch is the only company in Alabama -and one of less than ten companies nationwide- that has made the list 14 or more years. Since its 2002 founding in Huntsville, Alabama, Torch has maintained consistent growth, expanding to include seven regional technical offices, and providing on-site field support at customer locations worldwide.

“We are proud that Torch has again been recognized as one of the fastest-growing private companies in America, and we are delighted to be among the 0.02 percent who have made the list 14 years,” said Torch President and CEO John Watson. “During these unprecedented times, we are especially thankful for Torch’s continued success and for our employee-owners’ diligence and commitment to our company, to our customers, and to the Warfighter.”

Not only have the companies on the 2020 Inc. 5000 been very competitive within their markets, but the list as a whole shows staggering growth compared with prior lists as well. The 2020 Inc. 5000 achieved an incredible three-year average growth of over 500 percent, and a median rate of 165 percent. The Inc. 5000’s aggregate revenue was $209 billion in 2019, accounting for over 1 million jobs over the past three years. 

Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found at www.inc.com/inc5000

“At Torch, more than a third of our employee-owners are millennials who will help carry the torch for our company’s future endeavors,” says Torch President and CEO John Watson. “It is an honor to work alongside bright employee-owners from every generation as we work together for the benefit of our customers and our company.”

The Best Workplaces for Millennials stand out for their unique, innovative cultures, which helps them attract and retain Millennial employees. Great Place to Work evaluated team members’ experience on the job, including employee pride in the organization’s community impact, belief that their work makes a difference, and feeling their work has special meaning. Torch has achieved this culture through programs including the Society of Torch Emerging Professionals (STEPs), a voluntary internal group that currently has more than 100 members and focuses on professional development, networking, and community outreach opportunities for early career professionals. Torch has also implemented mentorship programs, a Leadership Book Club, training opportunities, and more.

“For many years, organizations have put forth considerable effort towards attracting and retaining millennial talent” said Michael Bush, CEO of Great Place to Work. “The Best Workplaces on this list have created cultures where its youngest employees experience not only an environment where they can grow professionally and personally, but also find a deeper sense of purpose in their work. As we prepare for a large influx of young professionals from Generation Z to enter the work force for the first time, these organizations have distinguished themselves as the leaders in attracting and developing the leaders of tomorrow.”

The Best Workplaces for Millennials is one of a series of rankings by Great Place to Work and FORTUNE based on employee feedback from Great Place to Work-Certified organizations. Torch was also ranked a Best Workplace for Millennials in 2018 by Great Place to Work and FORTUNE, as well as a Best Workplace in Consulting & Professionals Services in 2016-2020, in addition to a Best Small and Medium Workplace by Great Place to Work and FORTUNE in 2016-2018.