Bill Roark recognized for Lifetime Achievement service record by Business Alabama
MADISON – Bill Roark of Madison is among four distinguished Alabama businesspeople that the Business Alabama organization will recognize as Lifetime Achievement recipients at the Business Alabama Awards on Jan. 30.
Roark is co-founder of Torch Technologies Inc. or Torch. He retired in 2025 but continues to serve as Executive Chairman of Starfish Holdings Board of Directors and as a member of Freedom Real Estate Board of Directors. Roark is a founder of Starfish Holdings, Torch’s parent company.
He remains as CEO of Freedom Real Estate & Capital. Roark also has an advisory/consultant role for continued growth of the Starfish enterprise.
In addition to Roark, 2026 honorees Lifetime Achievement include Raymond J. Harbert, founder and CEO of Harbert Management Corporation; Dr. Marnix E. Heersink, founder of Eye Center South; and E. Grace Pilot, co-founder of Pilot Catastrophe Services Inc.
Recipients will be recognized at the Business Alabama Awards luncheon at Birmingham’s Harbert Center on Jan. 30. Officials also will present awards in several categories, like “Large Company of the Year.”
He is CEO of Freedom Real Estate & Capital LLC, a commercial real-estate brokerage company. He also is affiliated with SIMVANA, a company specializing in virtual reality training for medical applications.
While serving as CEO of Torch, Roark guided the company to national recognition as one of the “Top 100 Fastest Growing Companies in America” by “Entrepreneur” magazine and 15 consecutive selections on the “Inc. 5000” list, which recognizes the fastest growing private companies.
In addition, Torch was recognized as the no. 1 fastest growing privately-held defense contractor in the Southeast region. In May 2024, Roark released “Built With Purpose,” chronicling the first 10 years of Torch’s history. The book focuses on Torch’s formation and transition to a 100-percent, employee-owned company.
Roark’s philanthropic efforts include American Heart Association Heart Walk, Liz Hurley Ribbon Run and Huntsville Hospital Foundation, among others. Roark was inducted into Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership Hall of Fame. His wife, Brenda, and daughters, Amy and Kaitlynn, were named “Philanthropists of the Year” by North Alabama Chapter of Association of Fundraising Professionals.
In addition, Madison Visionary Partners or MVP honored Roark as “Philanthropic Businessperson of the Year” in 2025.
