Torrent opens Washington subsidiary to serve feds

Torrent Technologies Inc., a Seattle business services provider, has established Torrent Government Contracting Services LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary in New Carrollton, Md.

TGCS will initially focus on a contract the Federal Emergency Management Agency recently awarded to Torrent’s strategic partner in October 2008, company officials said today. The partner was not named in the announcement. Torrent has been a subcontractor managing the underwriting process of the contract, officials said.

The newly formed company plans to bid on other federal and state government contracts with its business partners, including Wells Fargo and Co., Connective Technologies Inc. and ChoicePoint.

Torrent also created Torrent Insurance Services LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary in Kalispell, Mont. That business unit will provide back-office services and new technologies to insurance carriers that resell and administer flood insurance through FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program.

At the end of 2008, Torrent had about 40 employees. That number had increased to 55 by the end of February.

“Our vision for Torrent from inception has always been to leverage our leading technology, infrastructure and industry knowledge to expand into other market verticals, thereby diversifying revenue streams,” said Travis Pine, Torrent Technologies’ co-founder, chief executive officer and chairman, in a statement.