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 articulated work platforms, telescopic work platforms, trailer mounted work platforms, vertical mast-work platforms and scissor lifts.
On the 24th of July, the year 2008 the Haulotte Group acquired Bil-Jax, who was the US' largest scaffold manufacturer. Now, Haulotte Group has one plant in Spain, three factories in France, one factory in Romania, near Pitesti City. There is a new plant which opened during the winter of 2008. This plant is 1 km away from the existing factory near Pitesti City 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 formed during the year 1881 in Lyon, France by Alexandre Pinguely. The company first constructed steam locomotives. The company evolved into making machinery eventually. During 1892, they supplied a steam engine to the Chemin de Fer de St Victor a Thizy.
Pinguely provided 7 trains to the Voiron-Saint-Beron railway. In terms of numbers produced, Pinguely was not a main locomotive manufacturer. The company provided a steam locomotive to the Chemin de Fer du Haut-Rhone during 1930 and by the year 1932, Pinguely started making steam shovels. Steam locomotive production was stopped and the company started focusing instead on mobile cranes and making earthmoving machines instead.
Haulotte
In 1924, Haulotte was formed in L'Horme by Arthur Haulotte. The company was known as Ateliers de Construction A. Haulotte. This company 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, research, design and development. All products were abandoned by Saubot so that the company can concentrate on self-propelled aerial work platforms.