The company Pinguely-Haulotte was recently named the Haulotte Group in 2005. The name change was the first time in 124 years the name has not included Pinguely. The Haulotte Group is popular for manufacturing articulated work platforms, telescopic work platforms, scissor lifts, trailer mounted work platforms and vertical mast-work platforms.
On the 24th of July, the year 2008 the Haulotte Group obtained Bil-Jax, who was the US' biggest scaffold manufacturer. Now, Haulotte Group has one plant in Spain, three plants 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 just 1 km away from the existing plant near Pitesti City in the County of Arges. The factory is called Arges II. There are also two factories in the USA, the former Bill-Jax.
Pinguely
Alexandre Pinguely established the Pinguely Company in the year 1881 within Lyon, France. Initially, they constructed steam engines. The company eventually evolved into making machines. During 1892, they provided a locomotive to the Chemin de Fer de St Victor a Thizy.
Pinguely provided 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 in the year 1930 and by 1932, Pinguely began manufacturing steam shovels. Production of steam locomotives was stopped and the company started focusing instead on mobile cranes and making earthmoving machinery instead.
Haulotte
Arthur Hualotte established the beginnings of Haulotte in the year 1924, when it was referred to as Ateliers de Construction A. Haulotte. This company specialized in the production of 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 marketing and engineering, design, research and development. All products were abandoned by Saubot so that the company can focus on self-propelled aerial work platforms.