The company Pinguely-Haulotte was recently named the Haulotte Group during 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 manufacturing articulated work platforms, telescopic work platforms, scissor lifts, trailer mounted work platforms and vertical mast-work platforms.
The Haulotte Group acquired Bil-Jax, Inc. on July 24th, the year 2008. Bil-Jax is the biggest scaffold manufacturer in the US. At present, Haulotte Group has three factories in France, one plant in Spain, one factory in Romania, near the City of Pitesti. There is a new plant that opened in the winter of the year 2008. This plant is just 1 km away from the existing plant near Pitesti City within the County of Arges. The plant is called Arges II. There are also two factories within the United States, the former Bill-Jax.
Pinguely
Alexandre Pinguely established the Pinguely Company in 1881 within Lyon, France. Initially, they constructed steam locomotives. The company evolved into making machines eventually. In the year 1892, they provided a steam engine to the Chemin de Fer de St Victor a Thizy.
Pinguely provided 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 locomotive 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 started focusing instead on mobile cranes and manufacturing earthmoving equipment instead.
Haulotte
Arthur Hualotte established the beginnings of Haulotte during 1924, when it was known as Ateliers de Construction A. Haulotte. This business specialized in manufacturing 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 marketing and engineering, design, research and development. All products were abandoned by Saubot so that the business can focus on self-propelled aerial work platforms.