Aldon
Aldon Company, Inc. is a 120+ year-old Waukegan, Illinois manufacturer of railroad safety and track maintenance equipment—including derails, rerailers, wheel chocks, signs, and warning lights—serving Class I and regional railroads, industrial rail operators, and contractors across North America.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1904
- HeadquartersWaukegan, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Aldon does
Aldon Company, Inc. is a 120+ year-old manufacturer of railroad safety and track maintenance equipment, founded in 1904 and headquartered in Waukegan, Illinois. The company designs, manufactures, and distributes a catalog of more than 1,100 products serving Class I and regional railroads, industrial rail operators, repair shops, and contractors across North America, including Canada. Operations run from a single 16,000 sq. ft. manufacturing and office facility built in 1976, and the firm holds 14 patents covering product designs.
Aldon firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Aldon
- Legal name
- Aldon Company, Inc.
- Website
- https://aldonco.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1904
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Aldon Company, Inc. is a 120+ year-old Waukegan, Illinois manufacturer of railroad safety and track maintenance equipment—including derails, rerailers, wheel chocks, signs, and warning lights—serving Class I and regional railroads, industrial rail operators, and contractors across North America.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Aldon is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Waukegan
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Aldon business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Railroad Safety Equipment Sales: One-time purchase of physical safety equipment including derails, wheel chocks, signs, lights, and track maintenance tools. Products ship within 3-5 business days for in-stock items. Custom products also available.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard catalog products with fixed pricing |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Custom and made-to-order products |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Aldon product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Aldon manufactures and distributes railroad safety equipment and track repair tools, offering over 1,100 products across categories including derails and rerailers, safety signs and lights, wheel chocks and stops, track maintenance and repair tools, railroad equipment, and truck loading dock supplies. The company sells primarily to industrial rail-using firms, railroads, repair shops, and contractors through direct e-commerce, phone sales, and a national distributor network.
Product overview
Aldon Company is a manufacturer and distributor of railroad safety equipment and track repair tools, founded in 1904. The company offers over 1,100 rail yard products across multiple categories including Derails & Rerailers (hinged, sliding, and portable derails including the patented SaberTooth), Safety Signs & Lights (blue flag protection signs, Switch Cube indicators, safety lights, signal flags), Wheel Chocks & Stops (steel and urethane wheel chocks, rail skates, car stops, crane stops), Track Maintenance & Repairs (track tools, inspection tools, switch products, rail benders), Railroad Equipment Supplier products, and Truck Loading Dock Supplies. The company operates a Crane Stop Configurator as a digital tool for product selection. Aldon also provides ASK ALDON consultation services and RailSafe training. Products are sold through an extensive national distributor network and directly to industrial customers, railroads, and contractors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SaberTooth®: Patented portable two-way freight car derail featuring tool-free installation and a safety hook that bites into the tie to keep the derail in place.
Products and services
- Derails & Rerailers Safety devices for railroad cars and locomotives including hinged derails, sliding derails, portable derails (SaberTooth), and various rerailer types for getting derailed equipment back on track. Sold to industrial rail-using firms, railroads, and contractors.
- SaberTooth Portable Two-Way Freight Car Derail Patented lightweight portable derail with tool-free installation and safety hook that bites into the tie. Provides temporary derailing protection for exposed rails on wooden and pre-stressed concrete ties. Sold to railroads, industrial rail users, and contractors.
- Safety Signs & Lights OSHA-mandated railroad safety signs, warning lights, blue flag protection signs, signal flags, and illumination devices for rail yard safety. Sold to railroads, industrial rail users, and contractors.
- Switch Cube Indicators Visual indicators for track switch positions using color-coded symbols (red, yellow, green arrows) on sign plates. Available in standard and solar-powered illuminated models for day and night visibility. Sold to railroads and industrial rail users.
- Blue Flag Railroad Safety Signs OSHA-mandated signs indicating railcars or locomotives being serviced or repaired that must not be moved. Available in English, Spanish, and French. Sold to railroads, repair shops, and industrial rail users.
- Railroad Safety Lights Safety lighting including blue lights, trainman's lanterns, warning signaler lights, solar flashing lights, and clip-on lights for night operations. Sold to railroads and industrial rail users.
- Wheel Chocks & Stops Rail car wheel chocks with rail-biting steel spurs for superior holding power and rail stops for securing locomotives and freight cars. Sold to railroads, industrial rail users, and contractors.
- Single/Double Railroad Wheel Chock with Flag All-steel wheel chocks with replaceable rail-biting spurs for securing freight cars and locomotives. Available for exposed and flush rail applications, with flags for visibility. Sold to railroads and industrial rail users.
- Spark-Proof Urethane Wheel Chock Urethane wheel chocks for hazardous environments where sparks from steel chocks could ignite dust or fumes during tank car loading/unloading. Sold to industrial rail users handling hazardous materials.
- Rail Skates Heavy-duty cast-steel devices for controlling movement of railcars and locomotives, used as low-profile wheel chocks or car-stopping devices. Sold to railroads and industrial rail users.
- Rail Car Stops Car stops for lightly traveled sidetracks providing stopping protection for storage and loading tracks, including locking car stops and two-way flush rail car stops. Sold to railroads and industrial rail users.
- Track Maintenance & Repairs Railroad track maintenance equipment including track tools, switch and turnout products, inspection tools, rail benders, fasteners, and industrial rail carts. Sold to railroads and repair shops.
- Track Inspection Tools Tools for track inspection including gauges, levels, rolling gauge readers, taper gauges, rail wear gauges, and magnetic markers. Sold to railroads and repair shops.
- Railroad Equipment Supplier Products Equipment for railcar and locomotive repair including tank car sockets, hopper car tools, site cleanup supplies, brake sticks, railcar stabilizers, and car movement sensors. Sold to repair shops and railroads.
- Truck Loading Dock Supplies Truck dock safety products including wheel chocks, blocks, and trailer stabilizers that comply with OSHA regulations. Sold to industrial customers with truck loading operations.
- Railroad Operations and Safety Training (RailSafe) RailSafe training program providing railroad operations and safety training materials and guidance. Sold to railroads, industrial rail users, and contractors.
- Crane Stop Configurator Online product builder for selecting overhead crane stops with options for stop type (wheel wedge or bumper, sliding or non-sliding), rail size, and wheel diameter. Sold to industrial rail users and railroads.
Quantifiable outcome
- Wheel chocks tested to withstand over 25,000 lbs. of drawbar pull
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Aldon
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Aldon technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Aldon partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Aldon competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Progress Rail Services: Progress Rail, a Caterpillar subsidiary, is a broad incumbent offering rail equipment, parts, and services across locomotives, freight cars, and infrastructure — overlapping Aldon's railroad equipment and track maintenance categories at much greater scale.
- Loram Maintenance of Way: Loram provides rail grinding, track inspection, and maintenance services and equipment, with adjacent product offerings to Aldon's track maintenance and inspection tool lines, though Loram's primary business is service-based.
- Vossloh: Vossloh is a global rail infrastructure supplier manufacturing rail fasteners, switches, and track maintenance products, overlapping Aldon's track hardware and maintenance categories from a much larger international footprint.
Direct peers
- Delta Railroad Products: Delta Railroad Products is a direct competitor to Aldon, manufacturing rail safety equipment including derails, blue flag protection, wheel chocks, and track maintenance tools for industrial and Class I railroad customers.
- Western-Cullen-Hayes: Western-Cullen-Hayes is a long-established manufacturer of railroad signals, switch stands, derails, and wayside equipment, competing directly with Aldon in switch indicators, derails, and track safety hardware.
- MFG (Rail Products): MFG manufactures railroad track tools, track maintenance equipment, and rail gear including derails, switches, and replacement parts, making it a direct competitor in the same industrial track-supply niche Aldon serves.
- Holland Company: Holland manufactures freight car components including brake systems, truck components, and rail safety devices, overlapping Aldon's equipment-supplier category for freight rail and industrial customers.
- Racine Railroad Products: Racine Railroad Products manufactures track maintenance equipment, rail carts, and tie-handling machinery used by railroads and industrial rail users — closely overlapping Aldon's track maintenance and rail cart product lines.
- Safety Flag Company of America: Safety Flag Company manufactures OSHA-mandated safety flags, blue flag protection, and railway signaling devices, directly competing with Aldon's blue flag signs, signal flags, and railroad safety signage lines.
Emerging players
- Eastlake Gear & Axle: Eastlake manufactures railcar, truck, and trailer components including specialty safety and stopping devices, with partial overlap to Aldon's wheel chocks, rail skates, and car stop product lines.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Aldon social profiles
Digital presenceAldon financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Aldon leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Aldon funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Aldon 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 Aldon
What does Aldon do?
Aldon manufactures and distributes railroad safety equipment and track repair tools, offering over 1,100 products across categories including derails and rerailers, safety signs and lights, wheel chocks and stops, track maintenance and repair tools, railroad equipment, and truck loading dock supplies. The company sells primarily to industrial rail-using firms, railroads, repair shops, and contractors through direct e-commerce, phone sales, and a national distributor network.
Is Aldon a public or private company?
Aldon is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Aldon founded?
Aldon was founded in 1904. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Aldon based?
Aldon is headquartered in Waukegan, United States, in the North America region.
How does Aldon make money?
One revenue line is on record: railroad Safety Equipment Sales.
Who are Aldon's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Progress Rail Services, Loram Maintenance of Way and Vossloh. Direct peers are Delta Railroad Products, Western-Cullen-Hayes, MFG (Rail Products), Holland Company, Racine Railroad Products and Safety Flag Company of America. Eastlake Gear & Axle is listed as an emerging player.
Does Aldon have an API?
No public API is recorded for Aldon.