WARN INDUSTRIES’ 70TH
THE GRANDDADDY OF THE ELECTRIC WINCH CELEBRATES SEVEN DECADES ON THE TRAIL.
Ipurchased my rst winch back in 1984 from a buddy’s dad—a well-used Warn upright with a tangle of cables hanging off one end. I didn’t know anything about the winch or how to use it, but I knew I needed something to pull me out of future jams and Warn had the Xerox reputation in the industry. Little did I know at the time, I was entering a paragraph in what would become a 70-year chronical of high-quality off-road products. I recently had the opportunity to visit Warn’s headquarters in Clackamas, Oregon, walk through their 200,000-foot production facility and dig into the company’s rich history.
From the catwalk of a 20-foot-tall gear-cutting broach, overlooking CNC mills and plasma tables, systems technician Chad Schroll shared the company’s humble beginnings. While many only associate the Warn moniker with their line of winches, the company’s roots lay slightly aft of the fairlead—capping the front axle to be exact.
After World War II, surplus Willys at fenders, which could be purchased for a few hundred dollars, ooded the civilian markets. Arthur Warn, who had opened a Willys dealership with his wife Sadie in the 1930s, realized the need to disengage the front axle for on-pavement use. He took it upon himself to design a hub that allowed for what he called “free wheeling” in two-wheel drive. Early sales were generated by going door-to-door demonstrating the new product, but upon his Sadie’s suggestion, Arthur invested in an ad in Popular Mechanics. It not only provided national exposure, but was the catalyst for the company’s future global expansion.
After spending a few years perfecting the application, Warn approached the automotive industry and his hub became a factory
option for several brands (eventually becoming the factory- t hub for International Harvester, Kaiser Jeep, Ford, and Chevrolet). There were various iterations over the coming years—the Lock-O-Matic selectable and the Automatic, which relied on internal friction clutches to apply torque to the wheels—but the headline news landed in 1959 when Warn partnered with Bellevue Manufacturing to create the rst vehicle-based electric winch.
The M6000, affectionately referred to as the Bellevue, eliminated issues associated with power takeoff (PTO) and hydraulic options. Namely, the engine did not need to be running to self-recover a vehicle. The Bellevue was an instant hit with the growing off-road market, and in 1974 it was redesigned as the venerable M8274. The 8274 penned the opening chapter for an epoch of growth for the company. By the way, the “M” indicates model, “8” is the capacity (8,000 pounds), “2” denotes two-way operation (power-in and free spooling), and “74” was the rst year of production.
During the ‘70s and ‘80s, Warn expanded its line of winches, developing their rst 3-stage planetary gear model, which now ranges from minuscule UTV units to massive 30,000-pound industrial models. In the past decades, Warn winches have been utilized by off-roaders, the towing industry and military forces around the globe. At one time they even developed a limited-slip differential.
As the company gained nancial clout, it introduced bumpers, body armor, auxiliary lights, utility winches, and as of late, recovery gear. And lest we forget the beloved Warn overdrive. Born in 1961, this miracle gearbox allowed our painfully slow Jeeps to keep up with increasing highway speed limits while improving fuel economy and range. To this day, it can be found in thousands of vintage Jeeps the world over.
What the Future Holds
During the past decades, the shift to outsourcing production overseas has put increasing pressure on companies to follow suit. When I asked Chad about Warn’s stance on the subject he said, “Much of the foundry work is still done here in the U.S., and we cut almost all of our gears and do most of the machining and assembly here in Oregon. It is a delicate balance. We do have some parts made overseas, but we have full oversight of every step of the process, as well as full control of QC.” He continued,
“The reality is, with electric motors, for example, we can’t get them in the States anymore.”
As I walked through the building I witnessed Warn’s various product lines being transformed from neatly organized carts of parts and sheets of steel, into freshly powdercoated winches, bumpers, and accessories ready for a box and a
bow tie. It is an impressive operation.
Although family control ceased in 2000 when the company was acquired by an equities rm, Warn has been able to retain its autonomy and remains a driving force in the sector. Chad informed me that they have more than 350 boots-on-the-ground staff in the U.S. In a world
where manufacturing has almost entirely been shifted to Asia, these were good words to hear. During my visit, I talked with dozens of machinists, welders, and technicians. I was impressed to nd that many have been with Warn for more than 20 years, and some more than 30. Longterm employees are always a sign of a healthy, well-managed company.
As a leading innovator in the genre, Warn holds dozens of patents and has been the recipient of numerous industry accolades including 20 Best New Product and Global Media Awards from SEMA. Although Warn is not the only name in town when it comes to quality recovery gear, we’ve run Warn winches on our four-wheel drives for the past 30 years and always felt con dent that they would answer the call to duty—which they have. As the company celebrates its 70th anniversary, we are excited to witness its continued success and know Warn’s employees will still be churning out some of the best products in the industry—right here in the good ol’ USA. I am sure that Arthur Warn would be proud.