In the year 2005, the corporation Pinguely-Haulotte was renamed Haulotte Group. This name change brought the end of the Pinguely name after 124 years! The Haulotte Group is known for making articulated work platforms, telescopic work platforms, vertical mast-work platforms, scissor lifts and trailer mounted work platforms.
On July 24th, the year 2008 the Haulotte Group acquired Bil-Jax, who was the US' largest scaffold manufacturer. Currently, Haulotte Group has one factory in Spain, three factories in France, one factory in Romania, near Pitesti City. There is a new factory which opened during the winter of 2008. This factory is 1 km away from the existing plant near the city of Pitesti within Arges County. The factory is called Arges II. There are also two plants within the USA, the former Bill-Jax.
Pinguely
Alexandre Pinguely established the Pinguely Company in 1881 within Lyon, France. At first, they constructed steam engines. The business evolved into making machinery eventually. During the year 1892, they provided a train to the Chemin de Fer de St Victor a Thizy.
The company supplied 7 steam engines to the Voiron-Saint-Beron railway. Pinguely was not considered a major steam engine manufacturer in terms of numbers produced. The company supplied a steam locomotive to the Chemin de Fer du Haut-Rhone in the year 1930 and by 1932, Pinguely began making steam shovels. Production of steam locomotives was stopped and the company began concentrating instead on mobile cranes and manufacturing earthmoving equipment instead.
Haulotte
Arthur Hualotte established the beginnings of Haulotte in 1924, when it was referred to as 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, research, design and development. All products were abandoned by Saubot so that the business could concentrate on self-propelled aerial work platforms.