During 2005, the company 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, scissor lifts, trailer mounted work platforms and vertical mast-work platforms.
On the 24th of July, 2008 the Haulotte Group acquired Bil-Jax, who was the US' biggest scaffold manufacturer. Currently, Haulotte Group has one factory in Spain, three factories in France, one in Romania, near Pitesti City. There is a new plant which opened during the winter of 2008. This plant is just 1 km away from the existing plant near Pitesti in Arges County. The plant is known as Arges II. There are also two factories in the United States, the former Bill-Jax.
Pinguely
Alexandre Pinguely established the Pinguely Company in 1881 within Lyon, France. Initially, they constructed steam locomotives. The company eventually evolved into making equipment. During the year 1892, they supplied a train to the Chemin de Fer de St Victor a Thizy.
Pinguely supplied 7 trains to the Voiron-Saint-Beron railway. In terms of numbers produced, Pinguely was not a main locomotive manufacturer. The company supplied a steam train to the Chemin de Fer du Haut-Rhone in the year 1930 and by the year 1932, Pinguely started manufacturing steam shovels. Production of steam locomotives was stopped and the company started focusing instead on mobile cranes and manufacturing earthmoving machines instead.
Haulotte
During the year 1924, Haulotte was established in L'Horme by Arthur Haulotte. The company was referred to as Ateliers de Construction A. Haulotte. This business specialized in manufacturing derricks, aerial platforms and mobile cranes.
Pinguely-Haulotte
Manufacturing it was decided to be sub-contracted to Pinguely-Haulotte, who was to be responsible for the engineering and marketing, design, research and development. All products were abandoned by Saubot so that the business could concentrate on self-propelled aerial work platforms.