During 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 known for manufacturing telescopic work platforms, articulated work platforms, scissor lifts, trailer mounted work platforms and vertical mast-work platforms.
On July 24th, 2008 the Haulotte Group acquired Bil-Jax, who was the US' largest scaffold manufacturer. At present, Haulotte Group has one plant in Spain, three factories in France, one in Romania, near the City of Pitesti. There is a new plant which opened in the winter of 2008. This factory is only 1 km away from the existing plant near Pitesti within the County of Arges. The factory is called Arges II. There are also two factories within the USA, the former Bill-Jax.
Pinguely
Alexandre Pinguely established the Pinguely Company in the year 1881 within Lyon, France. At first, they constructed steam engines. The company eventually evolved into making equipment. In the year 1892, they provided a train to the Chemin de Fer de St Victor a Thizy.
Pinguely supplied 7 locomotives to the Voiron-Saint-Beron railway. When it comes to 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 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
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 could focus on self-propelled aerial work platforms.