About us

Arthur and Sadie Warn started a Willys dealership in Southpark, Washington in the 1930s, then founded Warn Industries in 1948. This new company began with an idea for converting thousands of surplus World War II Jeeps into useful, on-road vehicles. Arthur’s extraordinary invention had many patents, and his invention of locking wheel hubs would revolutionize the automotive industry. And while the business started with door-to-door sales in Seattle, it grew into a booming mail order business thanks to ads in the back of Popular Mechanics—Sadie’s idea. Eventually, Arthur started working with Belleview Manufacturing in Portland, OR, and by 1954, WARN locking hubs were offered as optional factory equipment by major domestic automotive manufacturers. More than 70 years later, WARN hubs are still the most trusted brand in the off-road market today.