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 manufacturing articulated work platforms, telescopic work platforms, trailer mounted work platforms, vertical mast-work platforms and scissor lifts.
On the 24th of July, 2008 the Haulotte Group acquired Bil-Jax, who was the US' biggest scaffold manufacturer. Currently, Haulotte Group has three plants in France, one factory in Spain, one factory in Romania, near the City of Pitesti. There is a new factory that opened during the winter of the year 2008. This factory is 1 km away from the existing factory near the city of Pitesti within Arges County. The plant is referred to as Arges II. There are also two factories in the United States, the former Bill-Jax.
Pinguely
The company was established in 1881 within Lyon, France by Alexandre Pinguely. The company first constructed steam engines. The business evolved into making equipment eventually. During the year 1892, they provided a train 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 locomotive manufacturer. The company provided a steam train to the Chemin de Fer du Haut-Rhone during the year 1930 and by the year 1932, Pinguely began manufacturing steam shovels. Production of steam locomotives was stopped and the company started focusing instead on mobile cranes and making earthmoving equipment instead.
Haulotte
Arthur Hualotte formed the beginnings of Haulotte in the year 1924, when it was known as Ateliers de Construction A. Haulotte. This business specialized in manufacturing aerial platforms, mobile cranes and derricks.
Pinguely-Haulotte
Manufacturing it was decided to be sub-contracted to Pinguely-Haulotte, who was to be responsible for the marketing and engineering, design, research and development. All products were abandoned by Saubot so that the company can concentrate on self-propelled aerial work platforms.