A Brief History Of Warn Industries

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A Brief History Of Warn Industries

Warn industries is no doubt one of the leading manufacturers in the aftermarket industry. The company is known for its winches that have been used world over. Before the company grew to where it is today, it was once a dream in someone’s head that materialized after years of hard work and huge investments.

Where It All Started

Warn industries was formed in 1948 by Arthur Warn to provide locking hubs for the World War II Jeeps to make them useful on-road vehicles. The company was initially based in Seattle, Washington and the Warn winch was its first recreational winch on the market. This winch had some cool features including the rugged drive train that made it very popular among four wheelers, off-road racers, ranchers and weekend adventurers.

Expansion Strategy

Warn winches were received well by the market and the company kept expanding its portfolio in an attempt to stay ahead of competition. In 1970's, the company added new electric and hydraulic winches, manual and automatic hubs for all 4WD vehicles, new winch mounting systems and severe duty winches to its line up. These really put the company on the map and by the end of the century, it had entered into its longest partnership with Ford Motor Company.

By the early, 80s, Warn industries was undoubtedly a force to reckon with in the industry and added more products to its portfolio. These products include the free-spooling clutch and 3-stage planetary gear train, first ATV winch and a new utility model. This was part of the company’s plan to diversify with plans of adding fender flares and other off road accessories underway. From here on, the company had tremendous success adding new products and dominating the market throughout the 80s and 90s.

In 2000, the company’s CEO, Mike Warn, sold the family owned business to institutional investors who would be able to take it to new heights. These new investors introduced a number of great products and helped improved productivity in the company for better results. Warn industries had a number of certifications proving that its products are of high quality and are reliable.

Giving Back To Society

The company is not only focused on profits as it also gives back to charitable events around the communities it operates from. The company has the Warn Employee Community Impact Project that helps residents of the Milwaukee and Clackamas areas. Charitable events help the company stay in touch and relevant in the communities it operates in. This brings some sense of togetherness in such communities.

By: James Langston

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