The company Pinguely-Haulotte was recently named the Haulotte Group during the year 2005. The change in name was the first time in 124 years the name has not included Pinguely. The Haulotte Group is known for making telescopic work platforms, articulated work platforms, trailer mounted work platforms, vertical mast-work platforms and scissor lifts.
The Haulotte Group obtained Bil-Jax, Inc. on the 24th of July, the year 2008. Bil-Jax is the largest US scaffold manufacturer. Now, Haulotte Group has one factory in Spain, three plants in France, one in Romania, near Pitesti City. There is a new factory which opened during the winter of the year 2008. This plant is 1 km away from the existing plant near Pitesti City in the County of Arges. The factory is referred to as Arges II. There are also two plants in the United States, the former Bill-Jax.
Pinguely
The company was established in the year 1881 within Lyon, France by Alexandre Pinguely. The company initially build steam engines. The company eventually evolved into making machinery. During 1892, they supplied a locomotive to the Chemin de Fer de St Victor a Thizy.
The company provided 7 locomotives to the Voiron-Saint-Beron railway. Pinguely was not considered a major locomotive manufacturer in terms of numbers produced. The company provided a steam train to the Chemin de Fer du Haut-Rhone in 1930 and by 1932, Pinguely began manufacturing steam shovels. Steam locomotive production was stopped and the company began concentrating instead on mobile cranes and manufacturing earthmoving machinery instead.
Haulotte
Arthur Hualotte established the beginnings of Haulotte in 1924, when it was known as Ateliers de Construction A. Haulotte. This business specialized in manufacturing mobile cranes, derricks and aerial platforms.
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 company can focus on self-propelled aerial work platforms.