For quite some time I’ve heard rumors that eWillys was causing daily slowdowns at the ARB USA headquarters in Renton, Washington, which just happens to be down the hill from my parents’ house. Yesterday I finally got a chance to investigate the issue, thanks to an invite by Mitch Carter.
For those that don’t know, ARB was founded by Anthony Ronald Brown in Australia in the 1970s. Originally the company produced bumpers, but quickly grew through the development of other products. They also grew by purchasing additional manufacturers (air lockers, suspensions, and more) and expanded across models and years to provide a wide array of 4×4 products. They even have some portable cooler-like refrigerators made for off-road folks that will freeze food. Today ARB is the largest 4×4 distributor in Australia and the company exports products around the world.
Mitch gave me a tour of the ARB facility. Given all the equipment they handle, they need a big warehouse. This is just the front area: