The company Pinguely-Haulotte was recently named the Haulotte Group in 2005. The change in name was the first time within 124 years the name has not included Pinguely. The Haulotte Group is known for making 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. Now, Haulotte Group has three plants in France, one factory in Spain, one in Romania, near Pitesti City. There is a new plant which opened in the winter of 2008. This factory is 1 km away from the existing plant near the city of Pitesti in Arges County. The factory is called Arges II. There are also two factories within the United States, the former Bill-Jax.
Pinguely
Alexandre Pinguely established the Pinguely Company during 1881 within Lyon, France. At first, they built steam engines. The company evolved into making machinery eventually. During 1892, they provided a locomotive to the Chemin de Fer de St Victor a Thizy.
Pinguely provided 7 steam engines to the Voiron-Saint-Beron railway. When it comes to numbers produced, Pinguely was not a major locomotive manufacturer. The company provided a steam train to the Chemin de Fer du Haut-Rhone in 1930 and by 1932, Pinguely started making steam shovels. Steam locomotive production was stopped and the company started concentrating instead on mobile cranes and manufacturing earthmoving machinery instead.
Haulotte
During the year 1924, Haulotte was formed in L'Horme by Arthur Haulotte. The company was called Ateliers de Construction A. Haulotte. This business specialized in the production of aerial platforms, mobile cranes and derricks.
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, design, research and development. All products were abandoned by Saubot so that the business could focus on self-propelled aerial work platforms.