The company Pinguely-Haulotte was just named the Haulotte Group in the year 2005. The change in name was the first time in 124 years the name has not included Pinguely. The Haulotte Group is popular for manufacturing 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 July 24th, the year 2008. Bil-Jax is the biggest scaffold manufacturer in the US. Now, Haulotte Group has three plants in France, one plant in Spain, one factory in Romania, near Pitesti City. There is a new factory that opened in the winter of 2008. This factory is 1 km away from the existing plant near Pitesti within Arges County. The factory is referred to as Arges II. There are also two factories in the USA, the former Bill-Jax.
Pinguely
The company was established during 1881 in Lyon, France by Alexandre Pinguely. The company initially build steam engines. The company evolved into making machines eventually. In the year 1892, they provided a locomotive to the Chemin de Fer de St Victor a Thizy.
Pinguely provided 7 steam engines to the Voiron-Saint-Beron railway. When it comes to numbers produced, Pinguely was not a main steam engine manufacturer. The company supplied a steam locomotive to the Chemin de Fer du Haut-Rhone during the year 1930 and by 1932, Pinguely started manufacturing steam shovels. Steam locomotive production was stopped and the company started concentrating instead on mobile cranes and making earthmoving machines instead.
Haulotte
Arthur Hualotte formed the beginnings of Haulotte in 1924, when it was referred to as Ateliers de Construction A. Haulotte. This company specialized in the production of mobile cranes, derricks and aerial platforms.
Pinguely-Haulotte
Manufacturing it was decided to be sub-contracted to Pinguely-Haulotte, who was to be responsible for the marketing and engineering, research, design and development. All products were abandoned by Saubot so that the company could concentrate on self-propelled aerial work platforms.