The company Pinguely-Haulotte was just named the Haulotte Group in the year 2005. The change in name was the first time within 124 years the name has not included Pinguely. The Haulotte Group is popular for making telescopic work platforms, articulated work platforms, scissor lifts, trailer mounted work platforms and vertical mast-work platforms.
The Haulotte Group acquired Bil-Jax, Inc. on the 24th of July, 2008. Bil-Jax is the largest US scaffold manufacturer. At present, Haulotte Group has three plants in France, one plant in Spain, one plant in Romania, near Pitesti City. There is a new factory that opened during the winter of the year 2008. This factory is 1 km away from the existing plant near the city of Pitesti in Arges County. The factory is called Arges II. There are also two plants in the USA, the former Bill-Jax.
Pinguely
The company was established during the year 1881 within Lyon, France by Alexandre Pinguely. The company first constructed steam locomotives. The business 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 trains to the Voiron-Saint-Beron railway. In terms of numbers produced, Pinguely was not a major steam engine 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. Steam locomotive production was stopped and the company started concentrating instead on mobile cranes and making earthmoving machinery instead.
Haulotte
Arthur Hualotte formed the beginnings of Haulotte during 1924, when it was called 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, design, research and development. All products were abandoned by Saubot so that the business can focus on self-propelled aerial work platforms.