The business Pinguely-Haulotte was recently named the Haulotte Group during 2005. The change in name was the first time in 124 years the name has not included Pinguely. The Haulotte Group is known for manufacturing telescopic work platforms, articulated work platforms, trailer mounted work platforms, vertical mast-work platforms and scissor lifts.
The Haulotte Group acquired Bil-Jax, Inc. on the 24th of July, 2008. Bil-Jax is the largest scaffold manufacturer in the US. Currently, Haulotte Group has three factories in France, one plant in Spain, one plant in Romania, near Pitesti City. There is a new plant that opened in the winter of 2008. This factory is 1 km away from the existing factory near the city of Pitesti in Arges County. The plant is called Arges II. There are also two plants in the United States, the former Bill-Jax.
Pinguely
Alexandre Pinguely formed the Pinguely Company in 1881 in Lyon, France. At first, 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. When it comes to numbers produced, Pinguely was not a main steam engine manufacturer. The company supplied a steam locomotive 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 began focusing instead on mobile cranes and manufacturing earthmoving machinery instead.
Haulotte
During the year 1924, Haulotte was formed in L'Horme by Arthur Haulotte. The company was called Ateliers de Construction A. Haulotte. This company specialized in manufacturing 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 engineering and marketing, design, research and development. All products were abandoned by Saubot so that the business can focus on self-propelled aerial work platforms.