In 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 popular for making telescopic work platforms, articulated work platforms, scissor lifts, trailer mounted work platforms and vertical mast-work platforms.
On July 24th, the year 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 plant in Romania, near Pitesti City. There is a new plant which opened during the winter of the year 2008. This factory is 1 km away from the existing factory near Pitesti in the County of Arges. The factory is known as Arges II. There are also two plants within the USA, the former Bill-Jax.
Pinguely
Alexandre Pinguely formed the Pinguely Company in the year 1881 within Lyon, France. Initially, they built steam engines. The business eventually evolved into making equipment. During 1892, they provided 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 locomotive manufacturer. The company supplied a steam train to the Chemin de Fer du Haut-Rhone during 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 making earthmoving machines instead.
Haulotte
In 1924, Haulotte was established in L'Horme by Arthur Haulotte. The company was known as Ateliers de Construction A. Haulotte. This company specialized in the production of derricks, aerial platforms and mobile cranes.
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 focus on self-propelled aerial work platforms.