Rydin
Rydin is a privately held custom print manufacturer and SaaS provider producing parking permits, hang tags, decals, RFID credentials, and student pickup tags for K-12 schools, universities, municipalities, and government agencies across North America from its Streamwood, Illinois facility.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1956
- HeadquartersStreamwood, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Rydin does
Rydin is a privately held custom print manufacturer and SaaS provider specializing in parking permits, hang tags, decals, RFID-enabled credentials, student pickup tags, and graduation/event tickets. Founded in 1956 by Glen Rydin as Rydin Sign and Decal, the company has evolved from street signage into a vertically integrated operation serving K-12 schools, colleges and universities, government and municipalities, healthcare, entertainment venues, airports, property management, and associations across North America. All production and shipping originate from a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Streamwood, Illinois, built in 2007.
Rydin's portfolio includes proprietary anti-counterfeit print treatments — most notably Metallic Blast (an exclusive metallic decorative finish that counterfeits cannot reproduce) and the Secure-and-Valid Hologram — together with a multi-layer security feature set (foil stamping, UV ink, microprint, security slits, scratch-off, PrismCal lamination). The product catalog comprises 88 SKUs across hang tags (33), student pickup and backpack tags (32), decals (13), parking enforcement items (9), badging and credentials (3), and graduation/event tickets (1). Technology capabilities include variable data and sequential numbering printing, RFID integration through a partnership with EMX Industries (EPC Gen 2 UHF, up to 25-foot read range), and an online Rydin.com Design Tool enabling self-serve customization.
Revenue is generated through four streams: one-time custom permit product sales, in-stock stock product e-commerce, recurring SaaS subscriptions to Rydin PermitExpress (a web-based parking management platform launched in 2011 combining permit registration, online payment, distribution, and citation management, with a Cite mobile app for field enforcement), and turnkey permit distribution services (printing, packaging, direct mailing). Pricing is quote-based for custom work and per-unit for stock items (e.g., $0.11–$0.43 per unit at high volumes). Go-to-market combines a self-serve e-commerce platform with vertical-specialized direct sales representatives handling enterprise accounts, RFP/bid responses, and custom solutions. Named customers include the US Government (Washington, D.C.), Auburn University, University of Texas Arlington, Marietta College, Southern Adventist University, and Lafayette High School.
Rydin firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Rydin
- Legal name
- Rydin
- Website
- https://rydin.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1956
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Rydin is a privately held custom print manufacturer and SaaS provider producing parking permits, hang tags, decals, RFID credentials, and student pickup tags for K-12 schools, universities, municipalities, and government agencies across North America from its Streamwood, Illinois facility.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Rydin is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Streamwood
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Rydin business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Custom Permit Products: One-time sale of custom-printed parking permits, hang tags, decals, and credentials. Customers design products online or work with account representatives. Production typically ships in 3-5 business days for custom orders; same-day shipping for in-stock items ordered before noon CST.
- Rydin PermitExpress Software Subscription: SaaS subscription for parking management software providing permit registration, online payment collection, citation management, and administrative reporting. Includes unlimited administrator accounts and role-based access control.
- Permit Distribution Services: Fulfillment and direct mailing service for permits. Rydin handles printing, packaging, addressing, and shipping permits directly to end users. Revenue is generated per permit distributed with additional fees for collateral materials.
- In-Stock/Ready-to-Ship Products: Pre-printed stock products available for immediate purchase including parking permit decals, hang tags, student pickup tags, and enforcement materials. Sold via e-commerce with unit pricing based on quantity tiers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Die-Cut Decals (R-300s) starting at $0.22/unit |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Square Parking Permit Decals (R-5000) starting at $0.15/unit |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Mini Square Decals (R-400s) starting at $0.11/unit |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Rectangle Permit Decals (R-200s) starting at $0.34/unit |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Extra-Large Hook Hang Tags (RXL) starting at $0.43/unit |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Zebra Citation Printer Rolls starting at $105 |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Rydin product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Rydin manufactures and sells custom-printed parking permits, hang tags, decals, student pickup/backpack tags, badging/credentials, and event tickets from its Streamwood, IL facility, and operates the Rydin PermitExpress SaaS platform for online permit registration, payment, distribution, and citation management. The company also provides turnkey permit distribution/fulfillment services, RFID-enabled access control products, and state disability placard printing and direct-mail services for government agencies. Its 88-product catalog is sold primarily through a self-serve e-commerce platform at Rydin.com supplemented by a direct sales team serving educational institutions, municipalities, healthcare facilities, and other verticals across North America.
Product overview
Rydin offers a comprehensive portfolio of custom print and permit solutions centered on parking permit management and access identification. The core product line includes Hang Tags (33 products), Decals (13 products), Student Pickup & Backpack Tags (32 products), Badging & Credentials (3 products), Graduation & Event Tickets (1 product), Parking Enforcement Decals (9 products), and Ready-to-Ship Stock Products (32 products). These physical products are supported by Rydin PermitExpress, a SaaS parking management platform combining permit registration, distribution fulfillment, and citation management. Rydin also provides complementary services including permit distribution/mailing, RFID access technology, state disability placard fulfillment, and extensive security features (holograms, microprint, Metallic Blast). The portfolio is tied together by an online design tool for custom product creation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Rydin PermitExpress: A web-based parking management software suite that allows users to manage permit registration, distribution, and citation management.
Products and services
- Hang Tags
- Decals
- Student Pickup & Backpack Tags
- Badging & Credentials
- Graduation & Event Tickets
- Parking Enforcement Decals
- Stock Products: Ready to Ship
- Rydin PermitExpress
- Permit Distribution Services
- State Disability Placard Distribution
- RFID Services
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 5,000 permits distributed directly to Auburn University students through Rydin fulfillment
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Rydin
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles7 records
Rydin technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature6 records
Rydin partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- EMX IndustriescoreRydin partners with EMX Industries for RFID scanner and hardware solutions. EMX provides cost-effective, high-performance RFID readers that integrate with Rydin's RFID-enabled hang tags and decals for gated parking access control. The partnership enables complete RFID parking solutions combining Rydin's permits with EMX's reader technology.
- International Parking Institute (IPI)minorIndustry association partnership providing access to parking industry professionals, best practices, and market visibility through IPI's network and events.
- International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA)minorAssociation partnership connecting Rydin with campus security and law enforcement professionals who manage parking and access control at educational institutions.
- National Parking Association (NPA)minorIndustry association membership providing parking industry networking, standards development, and market presence.
- Canadian Parking Association (CPA)minorPartnership with Canadian parking industry association extending Rydin's reach to Canadian municipalities and institutions.
- Texas Parking AssociationminorRegional parking association partnership serving Texas-area parking professionals and institutions.
- International Association of Healthcare Security and Safety (IAHSS)minorHealthcare security association partnership connecting Rydin with hospital and healthcare facility security professionals.
- SGIA (Specialty Graphic Imaging Association)minorPrint industry association partnership supporting Rydin's manufacturing expertise and printing industry connections.
- NAC (National Association of Christians in Recovery)minorAssociation partnership referenced on Rydin's partners page.
- Women in ParkingminorProfessional association supporting women in the parking industry, part of NPA ecosystem.
- VistageminorCEO peer advisory organization referenced on Rydin's partners page for executive leadership and business strategy support.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Rydin competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- T2 Systems: T2 Systems provides parking management SaaS (PARCS, Flex, Halo) for universities, municipalities, and airports. Most directly comparable to Rydin's PermitExpress platform with overlapping campus/municipal customers.
- Passport Labs (Passport): Passport provides mobile payment, permit management, and enforcement software for cities, universities, and private operators — directly overlapping Rydin's PermitExpress + distribution value proposition.
- Data Ticket: Data Ticket provides parking citation and permit management software for municipalities and universities, overlapping Rydin's citation-management and permit-registration functionality.
- InSight Mobile Data: InSight Mobile Data offers license-plate recognition and mobile parking enforcement solutions for universities and municipalities — a key disruptor to Rydin's physical enforcement decal product.
Broad incumbents
- ParkMobile: ParkMobile is the leading US mobile parking payment app, serving universities, municipalities, and stadiums — competing for the same wallet share as Rydin's parking permits and PermitExpress.
- IPS Group: IPS Group makes smart parking meters and management systems used by municipalities across North America — broader parking technology incumbent that competes for the same municipal contracts Rydin serves.
- Flowbird Group: Flowbird (formerly Cale) provides parking meters, mobile apps, and permit management for cities worldwide — broader incumbent competing for the same municipal parking contracts as Rydin.
- Metropolis Technologies: Metropolis (formed via SP+ acquisition) provides computer vision and mobile parking/access solutions for real estate, hospitality, and venues — a scaled, venture-backed incumbent competing for Rydin's entertainment-venue and airport accounts.
Emerging players
- Sticker Giant: Sticker Giant is a custom online sticker/decal printer with self-serve e-commerce — comparable to Rydin's direct-to-consumer decal offering, though with narrower product specialization and no permit focus.
- StickerYou: StickerYou is an online custom sticker/decal/label printing platform with similar self-serve e-commerce and design-tool mechanics to Rydin's direct-to-consumer channel.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Rydin social profiles
Digital presenceRydin compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Rydin financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Rydin leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
Rydin funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Rydin M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Rydin
What does Rydin do?
Rydin manufactures and sells custom-printed parking permits, hang tags, decals, student pickup/backpack tags, badging/credentials, and event tickets from its Streamwood, IL facility, and operates the Rydin PermitExpress SaaS platform for online permit registration, payment, distribution, and citation management. The company also provides turnkey permit distribution/fulfillment services, RFID-enabled access control products, and state disability placard printing and direct-mail services for government agencies. Its 88-product catalog is sold primarily through a self-serve e-commerce platform at Rydin.com supplemented by a direct sales team serving educational institutions, municipalities, healthcare facilities, and other verticals across North America.
Is Rydin a public or private company?
Rydin is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Rydin founded?
Rydin was founded in 1956. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Rydin based?
Rydin is headquartered in Streamwood, United States, in the North America region.
How does Rydin make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Custom Permit Products are the primary driver. The others are rydin PermitExpress Software Subscription, permit Distribution Services and in-Stock/Ready-to-Ship Products.
Who are Rydin's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are T2 Systems, Passport Labs (Passport), Data Ticket and InSight Mobile Data. Broad incumbents are ParkMobile, IPS Group, Flowbird Group and Metropolis Technologies. Emerging players are Sticker Giant and StickerYou.
Does Rydin have an API?
No public API is recorded for Rydin.