In 2005, the business 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, scissor lifts, trailer mounted work platforms and vertical mast-work platforms.
The Haulotte Group acquired Bil-Jax, Inc. on the 24th of July, 2008. Bil-Jax is the largest scaffold manufacturer in the US. Currently, Haulotte Group has one factory in Spain, three factories in France, one plant in Romania, near Pitesti City. There is a new plant which opened during the winter of the year 2008. This factory is just 1 km away from the existing plant near Pitesti City within the County of Arges. The plant is referred to as Arges II. There are also two factories in the USA, the former Bill-Jax.
Pinguely
The company was established during the year 1881 within Lyon, France by Alexandre Pinguely. The company first constructed steam engines. The company evolved into making machinery eventually. During 1892, they supplied a train to the Chemin de Fer de St Victor a Thizy.
Pinguely supplied 7 trains to the Voiron-Saint-Beron railway. When it comes to numbers produced, Pinguely was not a main locomotive manufacturer. The company supplied a steam train to the Chemin de Fer du Haut-Rhone during 1930 and by 1932, Pinguely began manufacturing steam shovels. Production of steam locomotives was stopped and the company started concentrating instead on mobile cranes and making earthmoving equipment instead.
Haulotte
During 1924, Haulotte was established in L'Horme by Arthur Haulotte. The company was called Ateliers de Construction A. Haulotte. This business specialized in the production of aerial platforms, mobile cranes and derricks.
Pinguely-Haulotte
Manufacturing it was decided to be sub-contracted to Pinguely-Haulotte, who was to be responsible for the engineering and marketing, research, design and development. All products were abandoned by Saubot so that the business could concentrate on self-propelled aerial work platforms.