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