WARN Industries
A company that began with something quite different from winches, and invented the recreational winch eleven years later.
1948: hubs for surplus Jeeps
Arthur Warn founded the company in Seattle in 1948. It made locking hubs for surplus Second World War Jeeps — thousands of them reached the civilian market after the war, and disconnecting the front drive turned them into useful road vehicles.
That was the whole business for its first decade. The winch came later.
1959: the first recreational winch
The WARN winch, developed in 1959, was the first winch intended for recreational use. Until then winches were equipment for working machinery and the military.
The brand quickly became the default choice among off-road racers, four-wheelers and ranchers — and has stayed there.
The 1970s and 80s: growth and the first ATV winch
In the 1970s the company added manual and automatic hubs for all 4WD vehicles, new electric and hydraulic winches, severe-duty versions and mounting systems. By the end of the decade it had begun its long relationship with Ford and moved manufacturing near Portland, Oregon.
The 1980s produced two things that are still industry standard: the first three-stage planetary gear train and the free-spooling clutch. In 1988 the company patented the first winch designed specifically for ATVs.
In 1986 the headquarters moved to Portland and Michael Warn, the founder's grandson, became chairman.
The 1990s: quality and certification
The company moved to just-in-time manufacturing, introduced Total Quality Control and obtained ISO 9001 and QS-9000 certification. An industrial division was created — winches and accessories for the towing industry.
In 1997 it opened a facility in Clackamas, Oregon of around 200,000 square feet, which remains its headquarters.
After 2000: PullzAll, XL and military contracts
In 2003 Warn Industries joined the Dover Corporation. In 2005 a sales office opened in the Netherlands. In 2006 the PullzAll arrived — a hand-held pulling and lifting tool still in the range today.
In 2007 the company developed an 18,000 lb winch for the towing and recovery market and was selected to supply self-recovery winches for the US military's MRAP programme. In 2008, for its sixtieth anniversary, it introduced the XL line of 20,000 and 30,000 lb winches and an anniversary edition of the iconic 8274.
In 2009 it supplied winches for the M-ATV programme, and in 2011 introduced the Olympus winch.
Every date and fact on this page comes from the history published by the manufacturer itself. We have added nothing that is not there.
kupwarna.pl is an information site run by a dealer of the brand. It is not the Warn Industries website — the official one is at warn.com.
WARN Industries
A company that began with something quite different from winches, and invented the recreational winch eleven years later.