In 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 known for manufacturing telescopic work platforms, articulated work platforms, vertical mast-work platforms, scissor lifts and trailer mounted work platforms.
On July 24th, 2008 the Haulotte Group obtained Bil-Jax, who was the US' largest scaffold manufacturer. Currently, Haulotte Group has one plant in Spain, three factories in France, one in Romania, near the City of Pitesti. There is a new factory which opened during the winter of 2008. This factory is only 1 km away from the existing factory near Pitesti in Arges County. The factory is called Arges II. There are also two factories in the United States, the former Bill-Jax.
Pinguely
The company was established in 1881 in Lyon, France by Alexandre Pinguely. The company initially constructed steam locomotives. The company eventually evolved into making machines. During 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 train to the Chemin de Fer du Haut-Rhone in 1930 and by 1932, Pinguely began making steam shovels. Steam locomotive production was stopped and the company began concentrating instead on mobile cranes and making earthmoving machinery instead.
Haulotte
In 1924, Haulotte was established in L'Horme by Arthur Haulotte. The company was known as Ateliers de Construction A. Haulotte. This business specialized in the production of 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 marketing and engineering, design, research and development. All products were abandoned by Saubot so that the company could focus on self-propelled aerial work platforms.