In 2005, the corporation Pinguely-Haulotte was renamed Haulotte Group. This name change brought the end of the Pinguely name after 124 years! The Haulotte Group is known for manufacturing articulated work platforms, telescopic work platforms, trailer mounted work platforms, vertical mast-work platforms and scissor lifts.
On July 24th, the year 2008 the Haulotte Group acquired Bil-Jax, who was the US' biggest scaffold manufacturer. At present, Haulotte Group has three factories in France, one plant in Spain, one plant in Romania, near Pitesti City. There is a new factory which opened in the winter of the year 2008. This factory is 1 km away from the existing factory near Pitesti within the County of Arges. The factory is called Arges II. There are also two plants within the USA, the former Bill-Jax.
Pinguely
The company was formed in the year 1881 within Lyon, France by Alexandre Pinguely. The company initially build steam engines. The company evolved into making machines eventually. During the year 1892, they provided a train to the Chemin de Fer de St Victor a Thizy.
Pinguely supplied 7 steam engines to the Voiron-Saint-Beron railway. When it comes to numbers produced, Pinguely was not a major steam engine manufacturer. The company provided a steam train to the Chemin de Fer du Haut-Rhone during 1930 and by 1932, Pinguely started manufacturing steam shovels. Steam locomotive production was stopped and the company began focusing instead on mobile cranes and making earthmoving machines instead.
Haulotte
During 1924, Haulotte was established in L'Horme by Arthur Haulotte. The company was referred to as Ateliers de Construction A. Haulotte. This business specialized in manufacturing derricks, aerial platforms and mobile cranes.
Pinguely-Haulotte
It was decided that the actual manufacturing was to be sub-contracted to Pinguely-Haulotte. They were to be responsible for the marketing and engineering, design, research and development. All products were abandoned by Saubot so that the business could concentrate on self-propelled aerial work platforms.