In 1948, Arthur Warn invented the 4WD locking hub for Jeeps returning from WWII. This invention helped to usher in recreational off-roading to the masses. Ever since creating hubs—and our winches starting in the late 1950s—Warn Industries has become a specialist in cutting metal for its wide range of parts and accessories. Raw steel comes in one door, and finished goods go out another. It's the way it started in the 1940s, and it's still a part of what we do today at our 180,000 sq. ft. factory in Clackamas, Oregon.

While not every part of every WARN product is made in-house, we do an incredible amount of metal work right here in Oregon, from machining and bending to welding and powder coating, and a whole lot more. Let's take a closer look at what actually goes on in our Pacific Northwest factory.

WARN Industries' 200-thousand-square-foot, ISO quality certified factory in Clackamas, Oregon

Our Oregon Factory

With over 400 employees, three shifts, and 24-hour operation, our Oregon facility is constantly abuzz. It holds several certifications including ISO (International Organization Standardization) and IATF (International Automotive Task Force). These qualifications are trusted by OEMs including Ford, Ram, and Yamaha to create the industry's leading products. But many of our goods that get sent to distributors, jobbers, and consumers directly are also coming out of this factory. This includes all our WARN truck/SUV winches (except VR EVO), our AXON and VRX powersports winches, industrial winches and hoists, bumpers, and much more. This also includes our new ZEON XD, the next iteration of the iconic ZEON winch line up.

The in-house assembled ZEON XD goes into packaging, ready for shipment.

The whole manufacturing process begins at our steel bay, located at the back of the facility. Here, various lengths, diameters, shapes, and types of steel (and other metals) are delivered daily.

Raw material delivers to the steel bay, then finds it way to the first machining station

From the steel bay, the metal moves forward throughout the factory. Barstock is cut, machined and turned into gears that go into our winches and 4WD hubs. Sheet metel is formed into bumpers and fashioned into winch mounting systems for trucks, side by sides and ATVs. The last step is where all the various parts come together on an assembly line. The products are packaged up, and sent to our distribution area to be loaded onto trucks and shipped.

Skilled metal worker putting the final touches on a Ford Bronco bumper

Lathe machines shape parts that are destined for the ZEON XD

Manipulating Metal: Machining, Forming, Welding, and Big Broaches

We have a multitude of machines forming, shaping, grinding, and machining metal. In fact, machining, whether its gears, winch end housings, or other parts, is one of our core competencies. Warn Industries also has an extensive recycling program to capture leftover shavings, chips, and metal plate so little goes to waste.

From sharp saws and high-tech lathes to gear shapers and three huge broaches to spline ring gears—our American workers know how to cut steel.

Warn's massive broach machines are a critical part of the manufacturing tool set.

Speaking of broaches, we have two massive 20-foot-tall pull broaches which go by the names "Broachzilla" and "Kong." These massive machines take metal rings and pull them along a broach cutter. This cuts spline teeth into the inner diameter, turning them into ring gears which get used inside many of our mid-frame winches, such as the new ZEON XD, our large-frame winches, including the M12, M15, and 16.5ti, and our Series G2 industrial winches. Kong, a recent addition to the shop floor, was custom built to Warn's spec in Michigan and has been a huge help in production. More on that later.

While parts for our products come from suppliers all around the world (just like your car, truck, SUV, or powersports vehicle), we are making many items from scratch right here in Oregon, too, and it's not just gears. We have people making winch drums, putting together winch brakes, machining winch drum supports, and the list goes on and on. We're doing much more than just bolting parts together to make finished goods: we're manufacturing products.

Ring gears are cut in-house, by American workers

A skilled technician puts together a winch brake assembly

Winch drums for large frame and Industrial winches that have been cut, welded, and painted in-house

Increased Efficiency and Automation

Warn has a focus on bringing as much manufacturing as we can back to the U.S. in terms of assembly and parts while remaining cost competitive. For example, many of our control pack subassemblies, which used to be assembled overseas, are now again put together in Clackamas—and we're looking to do more.

We also have an emphasis on increased efficiency, automation, and decreasing production times and expanding product availability. For example, before our new broach, Kong, was up and running, it took up to 17 minutes to machine a ring gear for our large-frame winches. Now, it takes just 50 seconds to broach those gears. What's this mean in the end? Eliminating a bottleneck in production, and increasing capacity, efficiency, and the helping to keep costs in check, all while still employing American workers.

State-of-the-art automation increases efficiency, helping to keep the Clackamas, Oregon production facility competitive in a global marketplace

WARN Series G2 Industrial winches are assembled in-house at the Clackamas factory

Bumpers come to life with advanced fabrication machines and processes

American Manufacturing: Part Of Our Heritage

We're not just cutting gears in Oregon; we're building a variety of products. Our army of workers are making 4WD hubs, steel bumpers, and winch mounting systems right here in Clackamas, Oregon USA. And when it comes to our iconic winches, our high-performance line of AXON and VRX powersports units, our stout industrial winches (including the new Series G2), and battle-tested severe-duty winches and hoists for the military, all have a final point of assembly of Clackamas, Oregon U.S.A. And of course, all our Premium Series, Ultimate Performance Series, and Heavyweight Series truck and SUV winches leave our Oregon facility. Our Standard Duty VR EVO winches are the only exception and are made in China to our specifications with in-house testing and quality assurance in Oregon.

A state-of-the-art powder coat line produces durable finishes that meet the toughest specifications

M8274 winch castings, destined for the in-house assembly line

It can be a challenge to manufacture in America while having to compete with companies sourcing all their products from overseas and selling at a lower price. We know we don't offer the least-expensive products on the market. However, we employ more American workers than our competitors, and we're putting together more of our products here in the USA, too.

So, whether it's machining the castings on an M8274 winch, cutting gears for the new ZEON XD, welding up a Trans4mer Gen III mounting kit, or powder coating powersports products, we're proud of our history and legacy of manufacturing. It's been a staple of our business since 1948 and will continue well into the future.