In 2005, the corporation 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.
The Haulotte Group obtained Bil-Jax, Inc. on July 24th, the year 2008. Bil-Jax is the largest US scaffold manufacturer. At present, Haulotte Group has three plants in France, one plant in Spain, one plant in Romania, near Pitesti City. There is a new factory that opened during the winter of 2008. This plant is only 1 km away from the existing plant near Pitesti City in Arges County. The factory is known as Arges II. There are also two plants within the United States, the former Bill-Jax.
Pinguely
Alexandre Pinguely established the Pinguely Company in 1881 within Lyon, France. At first, they constructed steam locomotives. The business evolved into making machinery eventually. During 1892, they provided a steam engine 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 main locomotive manufacturer in terms of numbers produced. The company supplied a steam locomotive to the Chemin de Fer du Haut-Rhone in 1930 and by the year 1932, Pinguely started manufacturing steam shovels. Steam locomotive production was stopped and the company started focusing instead on mobile cranes and making earthmoving machinery instead.
Haulotte
Arthur Hualotte formed the beginnings of Haulotte in the year 1924, when it was known as Ateliers de Construction A. Haulotte. This company specialized in manufacturing 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 can concentrate on self-propelled aerial work platforms.