In the year 2005, the business Pinguely-Haulotte was renamed Haulotte Group. This change in name brought the end of the Pinguely name after 124 years! The Haulotte Group is popular for manufacturing telescopic work platforms, articulated work platforms, scissor lifts, trailer mounted work platforms and vertical mast-work platforms.
The Haulotte Group acquired Bil-Jax, Inc. on the 24th of July, 2008. Bil-Jax is the largest US scaffold manufacturer. Now, Haulotte Group has three plants in France, one factory in Spain, one in Romania, near Pitesti City. There is a new factory that opened during the winter of 2008. This factory is 1 km away from the existing factory near Pitesti in the County of Arges. The plant is called Arges II. There are also two plants in the USA, the former Bill-Jax.
Pinguely
Alexandre Pinguely formed the Pinguely Company in the year 1881 in Lyon, France. Initially, they built steam locomotives. The company eventually evolved into making machines. During the year 1892, they supplied a locomotive to the Chemin de Fer de St Victor a Thizy.
Pinguely supplied 7 steam engines to the Voiron-Saint-Beron railway. In terms of numbers produced, Pinguely was not a major steam engine manufacturer. The company supplied a steam train to the Chemin de Fer du Haut-Rhone during 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 equipment instead.
Haulotte
Arthur Hualotte formed the beginnings of Haulotte during the year 1924, when it was known as Ateliers de Construction A. Haulotte. This business specialized in the production of mobile cranes, derricks and aerial platforms.
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 company can focus on self-propelled aerial work platforms.