Warn Industries

Warn Industries, Inc.
Industry Manufacturing
Founded Seattle, USA, 1948
Founder Arthur Warn
Headquarters Clackamas, Oregon, USA
Area served
 World
Products Vehicle recovery products and off-road vehicle accessories
Number of employees
 500
Parent Dover Corporation
Divisions Truck, Powersports, Industrial, Commercial, OEM
Website http://www.warn.com

Warn Industries is a manufacturer of vehicle recovery equipment and off-road vehicle accessories. The company produces products for use on trucks, powersports vehicles, wreckers, military vehicles, and trailers. Warn Industries is based in Clackamas, Oregon, a suburb of Portland.

History

The company was founded in 1948 by Arthur Warn, who invented a locking hub system designed for use on surplus World War II Jeep vehicles. Originally based in Seattle, Washington, Mr. Warn worked with Belleview Manufacturing of Portland, Oregon to manufacture the bolt-on/bolt-off hubs.[1] By 1954, the hubs were available as optional equipment through several major automakers.

In the late 1950s, Warn Industries pioneered the development of the electric winch for use on a recreational vehicle. Previous to the electric winch, most users of four-wheel drive vehicles utilized a winch driven by a power take-off (PTO) system of hydraulic system. However, PTO and hydraulic winches will not operate if the vehicle is not running.[2] The application of the electric winch would allow for vehicle self recovery, even if the engine had stalled. The first unit sold was initially called the Model 6000 (M6000), although it became known as the Belleview. It had a capacity of 6,000 lbs. In 1974, the company would update its Belleview winch to the M8274, which featured more modern components and an 8,000 lb. capacity.

In 1968, Thurston Warn was named president of Warn Industries, and in the 1970s, the company established a relationship with Ford Motor Company, and began producing hub sets for the automobile manufacturer. Additionally, the company moved to the Portland, Oregon suburb of Clackamas in the '70s. In 1984, Mike Warn became president of Warn Industries.

Warn Industries was sold in 2000 to Endeavor Capital & Northwest Equity. In 2003, the Dover Corporation acquired Warn Industries for $325 million.[3]

Warn Industries currently employs around 500 people and has a total of 400,000 sq/ft of manufacturing space in both Clackamas and Milwaukie, Oregon.[4] The company has won a number awards for its products, most recently winning a "gold" Excellence Award from Ford Motor Company for being a top-tier supplier to the automobile manufacturer.[5] Warn Industries supplies Ford Motor Company with wheel-end disconnects (automatic locking hubs) for a number of its pickup models.

Products

Warn Industries offers products including:

References

  1. ↑ "Warn Hubs". My Willys CJ2A Project.
  2. ↑ Levine, Mike. "Pickup Trucks 101: Choosing the Right Winch". PickupTrucks.com.
  3. ↑ "COMPANY NEWS; DOVER BUYS WARN INDUSTRIES FOR $325 MILLION". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 October 2003.
  4. ↑ Dorr, Bryon. "WARN INDUSTRIES: American Made Winches & So Much More!". Exploring Elements.
  5. ↑ Giegerich, Andy. "Warn Industries brings home more Ford hardware". Portland Business Journal.
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