Torch Technologies was co-founded in 2002 in Huntsville, AL by Bill Roark and Don Holder. Roark and Holder respectively had 30 and 40 years of experience in the Department of Defense research and development programs and other contracts.[3] The company's location was chosen due to its proximity to Redstone Arsenal, which serves as headquarters of several large Army organizations such as AMCOM and offices belonging to US Army Aviation.[4] Upon the company's formation, the co-founders began to aggressively recruit a team of senior engineers, and set out to build a reputation for good service and competitive pricing. In 2005, Roark began to take steps that allowed Torch to become employee-owned (via an ESOP), and the company attained 100% employee ownership in 2010.[5] Roark desired employee-ownership and profit sharing because such management styles have been proven to reduce employee attrition rates and increase job satisfaction.[6] In 2008, Torch began bidding as a prime government contractor. With the receipt of four direct award prime task orders on AMCOM Express, the company won more contracts in two weeks in late 2008 than the previous six years of combined government work.[3] In late 2016, Torch completed a $12 million renovation of the two existing buildings it owns in South Huntsville.[7] Torch received economic incentives from the city of Huntsville, the Tennessee Valley Authority and the state of Alabama to keep its headquarters in south Huntsville as opposed to moving to Cummings Research Park in hopes of growing economic activity in the immediate area.[7] Torch has since had two more major expansions in south Huntsville, with the (2017) completion of a conference center called the Freedom Center[8] and the (2019) completion of the Technology Integration & Prototyping Center.[9] While Torch is headquartered in Huntsville, with eight technical offices located throughout the United States, they have employee-owners located in several additional markets, including California; Ohio, Oklahoma, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Kwajalein, and Egypt.
Areas of Expertise
Weapon System Performance Analysis to include sensors/seekers, aerodynamics, guidance and control, target discrimination, endgame performance, and command and control; Modeling and Simulation with emphasis primarily on high-fidelity level simulations including all digital simulations, Software-in-the-Loop (SWIL) and Hardware-in-the-Loop (HWIL) simulations; Information Technology such as distributed simulations/data management, visualization techniques, high performance computers, and network integration; Manned and Unmanned Aviation; Test & Evaluation (T&E); and Advanced Technology Research and Development including development, testing, and implementation of innovative algorithms and software.[10]
