Mike Torrence has that special energy that you instantly recognize when you hear his voice. It’s that unshakable entrepreneurial spirit that always sees new opportunities around every corner. In 2004, armed with little more than a prayer and a knack for sales in the sports lighting industry, Mike launched Torrence Sports Lighting. Over the next two decades, the company grew exponentially. Mike never slowed down—until he met his equal in drive and vision: Travis Penley.

Travis Penley is a force! He’s on a crane at 5 a.m. installing poles, on the phone with vendors by 8, and still grinding late into the night when most of us are fast asleep. So when Mike was ready to pass the torch, he knew the thousands of relationships he built over the years would be in good hands with Travis.

Today, Torrence Sports Lighting has completed just south of 2,000 projects across North Carolina. From high school athletic directors to electrical engineers and everyone in between, they all pick up when Torrence pops up on their phones. In a world where clients are navigating six-second reels and flashy bullet points instead of real information, the entire team at Torrence is a welcome refresh of real project knowledge, experienced cost estimating, and on-the-job grit. The transition from Mike to Travis has been seamless, in part because they both possess a sincerity that people crave.

This is a team whose hands were in the dirt long before they were at a desk. They all started by digging holes and setting poles. They know how to get the job done, and more importantly, they stand behind their work. Every day they show up with their A-game, honoring Mike’s legacy while embracing the continuous evolution of this industry. Just like the LED lights that are transforming stadiums previously lit by old halogen lights into spectacular light shows, the team at Torrence is reinventing their company with boundless enthusiasm.