The company Pinguely-Haulotte was just named the Haulotte Group during 2005. The name change was the first time in 124 years the name has not included Pinguely. The Haulotte Group is popular for manufacturing telescopic work platforms, articulated work platforms, scissor lifts, trailer mounted work platforms and vertical mast-work platforms.
On the 24th of July, 2008 the Haulotte Group obtained Bil-Jax, who was the US' largest scaffold manufacturer. Currently, Haulotte Group has one plant in Spain, three plants in France, one 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 the city of Pitesti 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 formed during the year 1881 within Lyon, France by Alexandre Pinguely. The company first constructed steam locomotives. The business eventually evolved into making equipment. During 1892, they supplied a locomotive to the Chemin de Fer de St Victor a Thizy.
Pinguely provided 7 trains to the Voiron-Saint-Beron railway. In terms of numbers produced, Pinguely was not a main steam engine manufacturer. The company provided a steam train to the Chemin de Fer du Haut-Rhone during 1930 and by the year 1932, Pinguely began manufacturing steam shovels. Production of steam locomotives was stopped and the company started concentrating instead on mobile cranes and manufacturing earthmoving machinery instead.
Haulotte
Arthur Hualotte established the beginnings of Haulotte in the year 1924, when it was referred to as Ateliers de Construction A. Haulotte. This business 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 marketing and engineering, research, design and development. All products were abandoned by Saubot so that the company could focus on self-propelled aerial work platforms.