SOLE-The International Society of Logistics

What SOLE-The International Society of Logistics does

SOLE — The International Society of Logistics is a 501(c)(3) non-profit international professional society founded in 1966 as the Society of Logistics Engineers and headquartered in Laurel, Maryland. The organization serves logistics professionals across government, defense, industry, and academia by delivering a multi-tier membership program (regular, student, young logistician, retired, and corporate), three professional certification programs (Certified Professional Logistician, Certified Master Logistician, and the three-tier Demonstrated Logistician Program), scholarly publications (Logistics Spectrum journal, SOLEtech newsletter, Technical Monograph Series), and a global conference calendar including the Annual International Logistics Symposium and Congresses.

The society operates through a chapter-based delivery model with over 90 chapters in more than 50 countries and a database of approximately 17,000 names. Its core technology is essentially non-existent in the software-product sense — SOLE is a credentialing and community organization, not a software vendor. Distribution is direct-to-member via sole.org and through local chapters, with certification exams administered twice annually (May and November) by proctors.

Revenue is generated through subscription-style annual membership dues ($40–$140 individuals; $1,000–$3,000 corporate), one-time certification exam fees ($125–$375), publication sales ($30 per monograph), event sponsorships and exhibit booths, and journal advertising. Corporate memberships include complimentary individual memberships and a second free exhibit booth at the annual symposium. Notable institutional customers include the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy/Marines, Boeing, Raytheon, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and a broad base of Fortune 500 companies. Operations are lean, with a headquarters staff of 7 employees.

Name

SOLE-The International Society of Logistics

Legal name

SOLE - The International Society of Logistics

Website

https://sole.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SOLE is a 501(c)(3) international professional society founded in 1966 that provides membership, certification (CPL, CML, DLP), publications, and conferences to logistics professionals across 90+ chapters in 50+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Logistics, Freight Forwarding & Supply Chain Operations (EDAOANAG)

Keywords

• Professional society membership
• Logistics certification programs
• Logistics professional development
• Industry conferences events
• Scholarly publications journals

Headquarters

HQ city

Laurel

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Membership Dues: Annual membership dues from individual professionals including regular, student, young logistician, and retired memberships. Recurring revenue model with annual billing cycle.
2. Corporate Membership Dues: Annual corporate memberships priced by organization size: $1,000 for up to 49 employees, $2,000 for 50-500 employees, $3,000 for over 500 employees. Includes complimentary individual memberships for designated employee representatives.
3. CPL Certification Fees: Certified Professional Logistician examination fees: $225 for members and $375 for non-members. Retake fees of $50 for both members and non-members. VA reimbursement available for eligible veterans.
4. CML Certification Fees: Certified Master Logistician examination fees: $125 for members and $275 for non-members. Retake fees of $50 for both members and non-members.
5. Demonstrated Logistician Program Fees: Application fees for Demonstrated Logistician (DL), Demonstrated Senior Logistician (DSL), and Demonstrated Master Logistician (DML) designations. Fee increasing to $60 effective January 2025 (held at $50 for 20 years from 2005-2024).
6. Technical Monograph Sales: Sale of technical monographs on specific logistics topics at $30 each plus shipping. Includes volumes on probabilistic elements for reliability and statistics for logisticians.
7. Advertising and Publications: Revenue from advertising in Logistics Spectrum journal, SOLEtech newsletter, and other publications. Corporate members receive discounts on advertising rates.
8. Event Sponsorship and Exhibits: Revenue from exhibit booths at Annual Symposium. Corporate members receive a second exhibit booth at no cost if one is purchased at full cost (value $1,300).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

SOLE - The International Society of Logistics is a non-profit international professional society that provides membership, professional certification (CPL, CML, DLP), scholarly publications (Logistics Spectrum journal, SOLEtech newsletter, technical monographs), and annual conferences for logistics professionals. The society operates over 90 chapters in more than 50 countries and serves individuals and organizations in commerce, defense, government, and academia.

Product overview

SOLE - The International Society of Logistics is a non-profit international professional society that provides a comprehensive portfolio of membership, certification, publication, and professional development services. The core offerings include five membership types (Regular, Student, Young Logistician, Retired, Corporate), three professional certification programs (CPL, CML, DLP), and multiple publications including the Logistics Spectrum journal, SOLEtech newsletter, and Technical Monograph Series. The society organizes annual conferences and symposia and maintains a reference library and job board for members. The organization operates over 90 chapters in more than 50 countries, serving logistics professionals across commerce, industry, defense, and government sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CPL (Certified Professional Logistician): The Certified Professional Logistician program - the only internationally recognized professional whole-enterprise logistics certification awarded by SOLE.
• CML (Certified Master Logistician)
• DLP (Demonstrated Logistician Program)
• Logistics Spectrum
• SOLEtech
• Annals of the International Society of Logistics

Products and services

• Regular Membership Individual annual membership for professionals working in or interested in logistics, priced at $140 for new 1-year and $370 for 3-year memberships, with renewal at $130/year. Includes a one-time $10 application processing fee.
• Student Membership

Quantifiable outcome

• CPL exam ranked as equivalent to Masters Degree for logistics managers
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• IATA (International Air Transport Association): IATA is a broader trade association serving the global aviation and air cargo industry with industry standards, training, and credentials. It overlaps with SOLE in air freight logistics and dangerous goods certifications but is a much larger, broader-scope incumbent.
• SME (Society of Manufacturing Engineers): SME is a large professional society for manufacturing engineers, offering certifications and continuing education. It overlaps with SOLE's industrial manufacturing and supportability coverage but operates at a much larger scale across a broader manufacturing focus.

Direct peers

• Institute for Supply Management (ISM): ISM is a major supply management professional association with CPSM, CPSD, and CSPL credentials. It serves a closely adjacent procurement and supply chain professional audience with a similar membership, certification, and conference model.
• ASQ (American Society for Quality): ASQ is a large quality and operational excellence professional society with CQE, CQA, and other credentials. Its quality-focused certifications compete for the same engineers and logistics professionals that SOLE's CPL/DLP programs target.
• FIATA (International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations): FIATA is the global peak body for freight forwarding and logistics, issuing FIATA documents and diplomas. It competes with SOLE for international logistics professional membership and credentialing authority in the freight forwarding niche.
• CSCMP (Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals): CSCMP is a leading supply chain management professional society offering education, research, and the SCPro certification track. Like SOLE, it serves logistics practitioners across industry, government, and academia with a membership-based model.
• ASCM (Association for Supply Chain Management, formerly APICS): ASCM is the largest supply chain professional association, offering CPIM, CLTD, and SCOR-P certifications. It is the most direct competitor to SOLE's CPL and CML programs, serving the same logistics professional audience globally.
• International Warehouse Logistics Association (IWLA): IWLA is a membership trade association for third-party warehousing and logistics services providers. Like SOLE, it serves logistics professionals with education, conferences, and certification-adjacent credentials in a closely overlapping niche.
• AST&L (American Society of Transportation and Logistics): AST&L is a long-standing U.S. professional society focused on transportation and logistics, with credentialing programs and educational offerings that directly compete with SOLE's CPL/CML certifications in the same logistics practitioner market.

Regional players

• NAFA Fleet Management Association: NAFA is a North American fleet management professional association with the CAFM certification and fleet-focused training. It serves a more regional and fleet-specific adjacent audience with a comparable membership and credentialing model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-international-society-of-logistics-sole

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SOLE-The International Society of Logistics