The business Pinguely-Haulotte was recently 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 known for manufacturing telescopic work platforms, articulated work platforms, scissor lifts, trailer mounted work platforms and vertical mast-work platforms.
On July 24th, 2008 the Haulotte Group acquired Bil-Jax, who was the US' largest scaffold manufacturer. Currently, Haulotte Group has three plants in France, one plant in Spain, one in Romania, near Pitesti City. There is a new plant that opened during the winter of the year 2008. This factory is 1 km away from the existing plant near the city of Pitesti within the County of Arges. The factory is referred to as Arges II. There are also two plants in the USA, the former Bill-Jax.
Pinguely
The company was formed during 1881 in Lyon, France by Alexandre Pinguely. The company initially constructed steam engines. The business evolved into making machines eventually. In 1892, they provided a locomotive to the Chemin de Fer de St Victor a Thizy.
The company supplied 7 trains to the Voiron-Saint-Beron railway. Pinguely was not considered a major locomotive manufacturer in terms of numbers produced. The company provided a steam train to the Chemin de Fer du Haut-Rhone during 1930 and by 1932, Pinguely started manufacturing steam shovels. Production of steam locomotives was stopped and the company began focusing instead on mobile cranes and making earthmoving machinery instead.
Haulotte
In 1924, Haulotte was formed 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
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, design, research and development. All products were abandoned by Saubot so that the company could concentrate on self-propelled aerial work platforms.