Torch Technologies Ranked # 72 on NCEO’s 2025 Employee Ownership Top 100 List

Ranking reflects Torch’s dedication to empowering employee-owners and fostering long-term growth

HUNTSVILLE, Ala., November 24, 2025 – Torch Technologies, Inc. (Torch), one of the nation’s leading defense contractors, today announced that the company has been recognized as the 72nd largest majority employee-owned company on the National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO) 2025 Top 100 Employee-Owned Companies List. This marks the fourth time Torch has appeared on the list.

“We’re honored to once again be recognized by the NCEO among the top 100 employee-owned companies in the nation,” said Torch President Brad Walker. “As an employee-owned company, every member of our team has a stake in our mission and our success. This recognition is a testament to the ownership culture that fuels our growth and excellence.”

The NCEO’s annual list highlights the largest broad-based employee-owned companies in the U.S., verified through governmental or other credible third-party sources. Most companies on the list are Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)-owned, with one structured as a cooperative. To qualify, companies must be at least 50% employee-owned, though most are fully (100%) employee-owned. Collectively, these organizations represent more than 642,000 employee-owners nationwide.

ESOPs across all industries and sizes have a long history of delivering tangible benefits to both companies and employees, while creating a viable model for business succession. The latest data from the Department of Labor shows total contributions to ESOP accounts were $107 billion in the latest plan year.

Founded in 2002, Torch Technologies established its ESOP in 2004 and became 100% employee-owned in 2011. In 2022, Torch earned Certified Evergreen™ status from the Tugboat Institute, recognizing its commitment to remaining a privately owned company for generations to come. In 2023, Torch became a public benefit corporation committed to sustaining profitable growth for over 100 years by creating an environment that will provide financial stability for its employee-owners, enabling them to focus on our customers; supporting the growth and sustainment of employee ownership concepts, policies, and implementation; and supporting and enhancing the well-being of the communities in which we operate.

About the NCEO
The National Center for Employee Ownership (“NCEO”) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has been supporting the employee ownership community since 1981. Its mission is to help employee ownership thrive. The NCEO helps its thousands of members make smart decisions about employee ownership with everything from reliable information on technical issues to inspiration to help companies reach the full potential of employee ownership. In addition, the NCEO generates original research, facilitates the exchange of best practices at its live and online events, features the best and most current writing by experts in its publications, and helps employee ownership companies build ownership cultures where employees think and act like owners. For more information, visit www.nceo.org.

About Torch Technologies
Torch Technologies is a 100 percent employee-owned business dedicated to providing superior research, development, and engineering services and solutions to the Department of Defense. The services we provide directly support the men and women who serve our country. Torch is part of the Starfish Holdings family of businesses that also includes Freedom Real Estate & Capital, LLC, and SIMVANA. To learn more, visit TorchTechnologies.com.