Description

Join us for a 12@12 with Bill Roark. Bill Roark is the Co-Founder, Torch Technologies, Inc., the Founder & Executive Chairman of the Board, Starfish Holdings, and the Founder & President, Freedom Real Estate & Capital, LLC.

More about Bill:

Bill Roark is the founder and Chairman of the Board of Starfish Holdings, the parent company of Torch Technologies, Inc. (Torch), one of the nation’s top defense contractors; Freedom Real Estate & Capital, LLC, a commercial real estate, and construction company; and SIMVANA, a company specializing in virtual reality training for defense and medical applications.  As the CEO of Torch, Roark guided the company to national recognition as one of the Top 100 Fastest Growing Companies in America, according to Entrepreneur Magazine, and fifteen consecutive selections on the Inc. 5000 list, recognizing the Fastest Growing Private Companies, including recognition as the No. 1 Fastest Growing Privately Held Defense Contractor in the Southeast Region. 

Roark is a staunch proponent of employee ownership and works to create positive change for employee-owned businesses on both the local and national level. Roark considers employee relations and benefits one of the most important aspects of business management, and he has worked diligently to ensure top benefits and working conditions, resulting in Torch being a five-time Best Places to Work recipient in Huntsville/Madison County. Torch received national recognition by The Principal Financial Group as one of The Principal 10 Best Companies for Employee Financial Security, as well as numerous recognitions by Inc. Magazine and Winning Workplaces as a top workplace. 

In May 2024, Roark released Built With Purpose, which chronicles the first 10-years in the history of Torch Technologies, focusing on its formation and transition to a 100 percent employee-owned company. The book explores the fabric and culture of an employee-owned company and the dramatic positive impact of employee ownership on business success.