During 2005, the company Pinguely-Haulotte was renamed Haulotte Group. This name change brought the end of the Pinguely name after 124 years! The Haulotte Group is popular for making telescopic work platforms, articulated work platforms, trailer mounted work platforms, vertical mast-work platforms and scissor lifts.
On July 24th, the year 2008 the Haulotte Group obtained Bil-Jax, who was the US' largest scaffold manufacturer. Now, Haulotte Group has one plant in Spain, three factories in France, one factory in Romania, near Pitesti City. There is a new factory that opened in the winter of the year 2008. This factory is only 1 km away from the existing factory near Pitesti within the County of Arges. The plant is referred to as Arges II. There are also two factories within the USA, the former Bill-Jax.
Pinguely
Alexandre Pinguely established the Pinguely Company in 1881 in Lyon, France. Initially, they constructed steam locomotives. The company evolved into making equipment eventually. In 1892, they supplied a steam engine to the Chemin de Fer de St Victor a Thizy.
The company supplied 7 trains to the Voiron-Saint-Beron railway. Pinguely was not considered a major steam engine manufacturer when it comes to numbers produced. The company supplied a steam locomotive to the Chemin de Fer du Haut-Rhone during 1930 and by 1932, Pinguely started making steam shovels. Production of steam locomotives 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 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 business can concentrate on self-propelled aerial work platforms.