The corporation Pinguely-Haulotte was recently named the Haulotte Group during 2005. The change in name was the first time within 124 years the name has not included Pinguely. The Haulotte Group is popular for manufacturing telescopic work platforms, articulated work platforms, vertical mast-work platforms, scissor lifts and trailer mounted work platforms.
On the 24th of July, the year 2008 the Haulotte Group acquired Bil-Jax, who was the US' biggest scaffold manufacturer. Now, Haulotte Group has one plant in Spain, three factories in France, one plant in Romania, near Pitesti City. There is a new factory which opened in the winter of the year 2008. This factory is 1 km away from the existing factory near Pitesti within the County of Arges. The plant is referred to as Arges II. There are also two plants in the United States, the former Bill-Jax.
Pinguely
The company was formed in 1881 in Lyon, France by Alexandre Pinguely. The company initially constructed steam engines. The business eventually evolved into making machines. During the year 1892, they provided a steam engine 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 during 1930 and by 1932, Pinguely started making steam shovels. Steam locomotive production was stopped and the company began focusing instead on mobile cranes and making earthmoving equipment instead.
Haulotte
In 1924, Haulotte was established in L'Horme by Arthur Haulotte. The company was referred to as Ateliers de Construction A. Haulotte. This company 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 engineering and marketing, research, design and development. All products were abandoned by Saubot so that the company can concentrate on self-propelled aerial work platforms.