Torch Achieves Certified Evergreen Status

Torch Technologies (Torch), a 100% employee-owned technology services and solutions company headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama, is proud to announce that it is now Certified Evergreen™. A timely achievement for Torch employee-owners as they will celebrate Torch's 20th anniversary this October, becoming Certified Evergreen™ signifies that while Torch employee-owners can look back on Torch's past with pride, Torch is also looking forward. Becoming Certified Evergreen™ means that Torch has committed to finding ways to make 100 percent employee ownership sustainable so that Torch will remain a private company forever.

According to Tugboat Institute®, the Evergreen™ certification is awarded to lasting, private companies that intend to adapt and grow profitably for 100 years, and more. Companies that are awarded Certified Evergreen™ status have undergone an extensive, rigorous assessment with the intention of continual improvement and enduring excellence around values, practices, and people.

Torch co-founder Bill Roark explained that it was always in the plan that Torch would not be sold, stating, "From the beginning, we had a goal to be 100% employee-owned because my co-founder and I had worked for companies that were acquired and we saw firsthand how that changed the culture and morale." Roark continued, "We did not want to do that to our employees who contribute daily to the success of the company; we wanted to be able to control our own destiny."

This certification signifies not only Torch's commitment to being a forever company, but it also signifies Torch's commitment to Tugboat Institute's seven core values, the Evergreen 7Ps™. The first three Ps—Purpose, Perseverance, and People First—define the character of the leaders and team. The last four Ps—Private, Profit, Paced Growth, and Pragmatic Innovation—reflect the long-term strategy tenets of an Evergreen™ business.

"We are honored to be recognized as a Certified Evergreen™ company by Tugboat Institute® and to join a peer group of private companies who share our values," said Torch President and CEO John Watson. Watson continued, "The Evergreen™ certification represents a commitment that we have made to our employee-owners and to our customers– Torch is evergreen. We are proud of the dedication that Torch employee-owners have demonstrated to the Warfighter, to our communities, and to one another, and we look forward to what Torch will accomplish in the years to come as an Evergreen™ company."