During the year 2005, the company Pinguely-Haulotte was renamed Haulotte Group. This change in name brought the end of the Pinguely name after 124 years! The Haulotte Group is popular for making telescopic work platforms, articulated 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, the year 2008. Bil-Jax is the biggest scaffold manufacturer in the US. Currently, Haulotte Group has one factory in Spain, three plants in France, one factory in Romania, near the City of Pitesti. There is a new plant that opened in the winter of the year 2008. This factory is just 1 km away from the existing plant near Pitesti City within Arges County. The plant is called Arges II. There are also two factories within the USA, the former Bill-Jax.
Pinguely
The company was established during the year 1881 within Lyon, France by Alexandre Pinguely. The company first build steam engines. The business eventually evolved into making machines. During the year 1892, they supplied a steam engine to the Chemin de Fer de St Victor a Thizy.
Pinguely supplied 7 trains to the Voiron-Saint-Beron railway. In terms of numbers produced, Pinguely was not a major locomotive manufacturer. The company provided a steam locomotive 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 started concentrating instead on mobile cranes and making earthmoving machines instead.
Haulotte
Arthur Hualotte established the beginnings of Haulotte during 1924, when it was referred to as Ateliers de Construction A. Haulotte. This business specialized in manufacturing mobile cranes, derricks and aerial platforms.
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 company can focus on self-propelled aerial work platforms.