During the year 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 making articulated work platforms, telescopic work platforms, vertical mast-work platforms, scissor lifts and trailer mounted work platforms.
The Haulotte Group obtained Bil-Jax, Inc. on the 24th of July, 2008. Bil-Jax is the largest scaffold manufacturer in the US. At present, Haulotte Group has one factory in Spain, three factories in France, one in Romania, near Pitesti City. There is a new factory that opened during the winter of the year 2008. This plant is 1 km away from the existing plant near the city of Pitesti within the County of Arges. The factory is known as Arges II. There are also two plants within the USA, the former Bill-Jax.
Pinguely
The company was established in the year 1881 in Lyon, France by Alexandre Pinguely. The company initially build steam engines. The business eventually evolved into making machines. In the year 1892, they supplied a steam engine to the Chemin de Fer de St Victor a Thizy.
Pinguely provided 7 locomotives 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 the year 1930 and by 1932, Pinguely began manufacturing steam shovels. Production of steam locomotives was stopped and the company started focusing instead on mobile cranes and manufacturing earthmoving machines instead.
Haulotte
Arthur Hualotte formed the beginnings of Haulotte during the year 1924, when it was called Ateliers de Construction A. Haulotte. This business specialized in manufacturing 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 marketing and engineering, research, design and development. All products were abandoned by Saubot so that the company can focus on self-propelled aerial work platforms.