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 articulated work platforms, telescopic work platforms, trailer mounted work platforms, vertical mast-work platforms and scissor lifts.
On July 24th, the year 2008 the Haulotte Group acquired Bil-Jax, who was the US' biggest scaffold manufacturer. Currently, Haulotte Group has three plants in France, one factory in Spain, one in Romania, near Pitesti City. There is a new plant which opened in the winter of the year 2008. This factory is 1 km away from the existing factory near the city of Pitesti in the County of Arges. The factory is called Arges II. There are also two plants within the USA, the former Bill-Jax.
Pinguely
The company was established during the year 1881 within Lyon, France by Alexandre Pinguely. The company initially constructed steam engines. The company eventually evolved into making equipment. In 1892, they provided a train to the Chemin de Fer de St Victor a Thizy.
Pinguely provided 7 trains 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 the year 1932, Pinguely started manufacturing steam shovels. Steam locomotive production was stopped and the company started concentrating instead on mobile cranes and making earthmoving equipment instead.
Haulotte
Arthur Hualotte established the beginnings of Haulotte during the year 1924, when it was called Ateliers de Construction A. Haulotte. This business specialized in manufacturing 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 marketing and engineering, design, research and development. All products were abandoned by Saubot so that the business can concentrate on self-propelled aerial work platforms.