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