The company Pinguely-Haulotte was just named the Haulotte Group in the year 2005. The change in name was the first time within 124 years the name has not included Pinguely. The Haulotte Group is popular for making articulated work platforms, telescopic work platforms, scissor lifts, trailer mounted work platforms and vertical mast-work platforms.
On the 24th of July, 2008 the Haulotte Group acquired Bil-Jax, who was the US' largest scaffold manufacturer. At present, Haulotte Group has three factories in France, one plant in Spain, one in Romania, near Pitesti City. There is a new plant that opened in the winter of 2008. This plant is 1 km away from the existing plant near Pitesti in Arges County. The plant is referred to as Arges II. There are also two factories within the United States, the former Bill-Jax.
Pinguely
The company was formed during the year 1881 within Lyon, France by Alexandre Pinguely. The company first build steam locomotives. The business eventually evolved into making machines. During the year 1892, they supplied a locomotive to the Chemin de Fer de St Victor a Thizy.
Pinguely supplied 7 locomotives to the Voiron-Saint-Beron railway. When it comes to numbers produced, Pinguely was not a main steam engine 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. Production of steam locomotives 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 the year 1924, when it was referred to 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, research, design and development. All products were abandoned by Saubot so that the company could focus on self-propelled aerial work platforms.