Starfish Holdings, the parent company of Torch Technologies, Freedom Real Estate & Capital, LLC, and SIMVANA, has announced that Founder Bill Roark has been named a recipient of the Business Alabama Lifetime Achievement Award. The Lifetime Achievement Awards honor the state’s most impactful business leaders and were presented as part of the Business Alabama Awards during a luncheon. The 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award recipients include Roark, Raymond J. Harbert, Dr. Marnix E. Heersink, and E. Grace Pilot.

“I am honored to be included among the 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award recipients,” said Starfish Holdings Founder and CEO Bill Roark. “This recognition is deeply meaningful to me. From the start, my vision was to build employee-owned companies where people truly share in the success they help create. That shared ownership fosters pride, accountability, and commitment, and it has been the foundation of everything we’ve accomplished. Our employees are the reason we’ve been able to build strong, enduring relationships with our customers and achieve lasting success.”

Roark is the founder and executive 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 brokerage, development, construction, consulting and property management company; and SIMVANA, a company specializing in virtual reality training for medical applications. Roark also serves as CEO of Freedom Real Estate & Capital.

While serving as CEO of Torch, Roark guided the company to national recognition as one of Entrepreneur Magazine’s Top 100 Fastest Growing Companies in America and 15 consecutive selections on the Inc. 5000 list, which recognizes the Fastest Growing Private Companies. Additionally, Torch was recognized as the No. 1 Fastest Growing Privately Held Defense Contractor in the Southeast Region. In May 2024, Roark released the best-selling “Built With Purpose,” chronicling the first 10 years of Torch Technologies’ history. The book focuses on Torch’s formation and transition to a 100% employee-owned company.

Roark’s philanthropic efforts include the American Heart Association Heart Walk, the Liz Hurley Ribbon Run, and the Huntsville Hospital Foundation, among others. Roark has received numerous honors and awards for his philanthropic efforts, most recently being inducted into the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership Hall of Fame. Additionally, his wife, Brenda, and daughters, Amy and Kaitlynn, were named Philanthropists of the Year by the North Alabama Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.