Railway Systems Suppliers Inc

What Railway Systems Suppliers Inc does

Railway Systems Suppliers, Inc. (RSSI) is a nonprofit trade association serving the communication and signal (C&S) segment of the North American rail transportation industry. Originally incorporated on June 13, 1966 in New York State as the Railway Signal and Communications Suppliers Association and renamed in 1972, RSSI has operated continuously for nearly 60 years from its headquarters in Jacksonville, Florida. The organization operates with a lean staff of three (Executive Director Tim Orlandi, Operations and Event Manager Theresa Wilder, and Bookkeeper Alison Garcia) and is governed by a Board composed of representatives from member companies including Siemens Mobility, The Okonite Company (a member since the 1960s), Herzog, and Railway Equipment Company.

RSSI's product portfolio centers on the annual C&S Exhibition, where member companies exhibit products and services directly to decision-makers from Class I railroads (BNSF, Union Pacific), regional and short line railroads, transit and commuter rail systems, and state DOT/government representatives. The association co-hosts the biennial Railway Interchange Conference with AREMA, REMSA, and RSI (the largest North American rail industry conference, drawing 7,200+ attendees and 600+ exhibiting companies in 2023), and in 2024 co-hosted a joint C&S exhibition with REMSA in Louisville, Kentucky (1,888 registrations, 151 exhibitors). Beyond exhibitions, RSSI operates an online searchable Member Directory and C&S Buyer's Guide, distributes legislative and regulatory news reports, and administers a scholarship program awarding up to $24,000 per recipient to dependents of member company employees.

RSSI generates revenue primarily through membership dues ($500 one-time initiation fee plus $450 in annual dues per Active or Associate member) and exhibition booth and registration fees. The pricing model is recurring subscription-based with event-driven revenue spikes in exhibition years. The technology core is minimal: RSSI runs a content-style website (rssi.org) with a member directory and buyer's guide, no native mobile app, no public API, and no disclosed software/AI capabilities. The value proposition rests almost entirely on the in-person exhibition format and on 59 years of accumulated industry relationships rather than on proprietary technology or data assets.

Name

Railway Systems Suppliers Inc

Legal name

Railway Systems Suppliers, Inc.

Website

https://rssi.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Railway Systems Suppliers, Inc. is a Jacksonville, Florida-based nonprofit trade association serving North American rail communication and signal (C&S) equipment suppliers. It runs an annual C&S exhibition and co-hosts the biennial Railway Interchange Conference, funded by member dues and exhibition booth fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Jacksonville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: RSSI generates revenue through membership dues from Active (exhibiting) and Associate (non-exhibiting) members. Active members pay initiation fee plus annual dues and are eligible to exhibit at corporation exhibitions. The association also hosts exhibitions where booth fees and registration fees contribute to operational costs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

RSSI is a nonprofit trade association serving the communication and signal (C&S) supply segment of the rail transportation industry. It sells paid memberships, hosts the annual C&S Exhibition and co-produces the biennial Railway Interchange, and publishes the C&S Buyer's Guide directory for member suppliers and rail/transit buyers. It also administers a scholarship program and provides legislative updates to members.

Product overview

Railway Systems Suppliers, Inc. (RSSI) is a trade association serving the communication and signal segment of the rail transportation industry. Rather than a single unified product, RSSI offers a portfolio of member services including: the annual RSSI C&S Exhibition where member companies exhibit products to railroad customers; the Member Directory listing supplier companies; the C&S Buyer's Guide categorizing rail industry products and services; the RSSI Scholarship Program for dependents of member employees; and participation in the biennial Railway Interchange Exhibition co-hosted with other rail industry associations. RSSI does not manufacture or sell physical products; instead, it facilitates networking, education, and commerce among railway signal and communication suppliers and their railroad customers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• RSSI Membership Paid annual trade association membership for rail communication and signal (C&S) equipment manufacturers, suppliers, and rail/transit enterprise buyers, including directory listing in the C&S Buyer's Guide, exhibition access, and member communications.
• RSSI C&S Exhibition

Quantifiable outcome

• Supplier to customer ratio as low as 1.37:1 at the 2010 Omaha exhibition
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• REMSA (Railway Engineering-Maintenance Suppliers Association)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 July 2024RSSI and REMSA jointly hosted the 2024 exhibition in Louisville, Kentucky, combining their respective supplier bases for a shared exhibition. This partnership represents the second major joint exhibition between the two rail industry associations, with combined exhibitions drawing nearly 1,900 attendees and over 150 exhibitors.
• Railway Interchange (AREMA, REMSA, RSI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 September 2011RSSI partners with AREMA (American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association), REMSA, and RSI (Railway Supply Institute) for the biennial Railway Interchange Conference and Exhibition. This combined event is the largest rail industry conference and exhibition in North America, hosting over 7,000 attendees and 600+ exhibiting companies from over 48 rail and transit companies.
• Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)minorOthersThe FRA holds training classes for field specialists during RSSI exhibitions, providing regulatory education to rail industry personnel on signal employee certification and related topics.
• BNSF RailwayminorOthersBNSF served as co-host for RSSI exhibitions, supporting the annual events and facilitating participation from railroad signal and communications personnel.
• Union Pacific RailroadminorOthersUP served as co-host for RSSI exhibitions, including hosting exhibition at locations near UP headquarters in Omaha, enabling participation from UP signal managers and field employees.
• Canadian Pacific RailwayminorOthersCanadian Pacific served as co-host for the 2007 RSSI C&S Exhibition in Calgary, Canada, facilitating cross-border industry participation.
• Canadian National RailwayminorOthersCanadian National served as co-host for the 2007 RSSI C&S Exhibition in Calgary, Canada, supporting the first international exhibition for the association.
• AREMA (American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRSSI works closely with AREMA on technical seminars and committee meetings during Railway Interchange events. AREMA technical manual parts play an integral role in ensuring signal and crossing system components are built and maintained in a safety-critical manner.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Railway Supply Institute (RSI): RSI is the broader rail supply industry trade association that co-hosts Railway Interchange alongside RSSI. It serves a wider supplier base (mechanical, track, and C&S), making it both a partner and a broader-incumbent peer in supplier representation.
• REMSA (Railway Engineering-Maintenance Suppliers Association): REMSA is a rail industry supplier association that jointly hosted the 2024 exhibition with RSSI in Louisville. It represents engineering and maintenance suppliers with overlapping member companies and a parallel exhibition-driven business model.
• AREMA (American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association): AREMA is a U.S. railway engineering trade association that co-hosts the biennial Railway Interchange exhibition with RSSI. It serves the maintenance-of-way segment of rail, overlapping closely with RSSI's communication and signal membership base and shared supplier/buyer audiences.
• Commuter Rail Coalition: The Commuter Rail Coalition represents North American commuter rail agencies, which are part of RSSI's transit and commuter rail buyer universe. Both organizations facilitate industry collaboration and events for overlapping stakeholders.
• National Railroad Construction & Maintenance Association (NRC): NRC is a U.S. trade association for railroad contractors and suppliers in construction and maintenance, with parallel exhibition and member-service activities similar to RSSI's supplier-engagement model.
• American Public Transportation Association (APTA): APTA is the leading North American trade association for public transit, including commuter rail. RSSI's transit and commuter rail members overlap with APTA's buyer base, and both operate exhibition/annual meeting formats serving rail industry suppliers and operators.
• American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA): ASLRRA represents short line and regional railroads in the U.S., which are explicitly part of RSSI's customer base. Both organizations run annual conventions and exhibitions serving overlapping industry stakeholders.

Broad incumbents

• Association of American Railroads (AAR): AAR is the principal North American Class I railroad trade association. While AAR represents the Class I buyer side directly, RSSI's members sell into the same Class I buyer organizations that AAR represents, making AAR an adjacent broad-incumbent in the same rail ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/railway-systems-suppliers-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

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 Railway Systems Suppliers Inc