During the year 2005, the business Pinguely-Haulotte was renamed Haulotte Group. This change in name brought the end of the Pinguely name after 124 years! The Haulotte Group is known for making telescopic work platforms, articulated work platforms, scissor lifts, trailer mounted work platforms and vertical mast-work platforms.
On July 24th, 2008 the Haulotte Group obtained Bil-Jax, who was the US' largest scaffold manufacturer. Currently, Haulotte Group has one factory in Spain, three plants in France, one in Romania, near Pitesti City. There is a new plant which opened in the winter of 2008. This plant is just 1 km away from the existing plant near Pitesti City within Arges County. The factory is called Arges II. There are also two plants within the USA, the former Bill-Jax.
Pinguely
Alexandre Pinguely formed the Pinguely Company during 1881 within Lyon, France. At first, they built steam engines. The company evolved into making equipment 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 major locomotive manufacturer. The company provided a steam locomotive to the Chemin de Fer du Haut-Rhone in 1930 and by 1932, Pinguely started making steam shovels. Steam locomotive production was stopped and the company started concentrating instead on mobile cranes and making earthmoving machinery instead.
Haulotte
Arthur Hualotte formed the beginnings of Haulotte during the year 1924, when it was known as Ateliers de Construction A. Haulotte. This business specialized in the production of derricks, aerial platforms and mobile cranes.
Pinguely-Haulotte
Manufacturing it was decided to be sub-contracted to Pinguely-Haulotte, who was to be responsible for the engineering and marketing, design, research and development. All products were abandoned by Saubot so that the business can concentrate on self-propelled aerial work platforms.