During 2005, the corporation Pinguely-Haulotte was renamed Haulotte Group. This change in name brought the end of the Pinguely name after 124 years! The Haulotte Group is known for making telescopic work platforms, articulated work platforms, vertical mast-work platforms, scissor lifts and trailer mounted work platforms.
On July 24th, the year 2008 the Haulotte Group acquired Bil-Jax, who was the US' biggest scaffold manufacturer. At present, Haulotte Group has three factories in France, one plant in Spain, one in Romania, near Pitesti City. There is a new plant which opened during the winter of 2008. This plant is just 1 km away from the existing factory near Pitesti City in Arges County. The factory is referred to as Arges II. There are also two plants within the United States, the former Bill-Jax.
Pinguely
Alexandre Pinguely formed the Pinguely Company during 1881 within Lyon, France. Initially, they constructed steam locomotives. The company eventually evolved into making machines. In 1892, they provided a steam engine to the Chemin de Fer de St Victor a Thizy.
The company provided 7 steam engines to the Voiron-Saint-Beron railway. Pinguely was not considered a major locomotive manufacturer when it comes to numbers produced. The company provided a steam locomotive to the Chemin de Fer du Haut-Rhone in the year 1930 and by the year 1932, Pinguely began making steam shovels. Steam locomotive production was stopped and the company began concentrating instead on mobile cranes and manufacturing earthmoving equipment instead.
Haulotte
Arthur Hualotte formed the beginnings of Haulotte in the year 1924, when it was called Ateliers de Construction A. Haulotte. This business specialized in the production of derricks, aerial platforms and mobile cranes.
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 business could focus on self-propelled aerial work platforms.