The corporation Pinguely-Haulotte was recently named the Haulotte Group in the year 2005. The change in name was the first time within 124 years the name has not included Pinguely. The Haulotte Group is known for making telescopic work platforms, articulated work platforms, scissor lifts, trailer mounted work platforms and vertical mast-work platforms.
The Haulotte Group acquired Bil-Jax, Inc. on the 24th of July, the year 2008. Bil-Jax is the largest US scaffold manufacturer. At present, Haulotte Group has three factories in France, one factory in Spain, one plant in Romania, near the City of Pitesti. There is a new plant which opened in the winter of 2008. This plant is 1 km away from the existing factory near Pitesti in the County of Arges. The plant is called Arges II. There are also two factories in the USA, the former Bill-Jax.
Pinguely
The company was established in the year 1881 in Lyon, France by Alexandre Pinguely. The company initially build steam engines. The business evolved into making machines eventually. In the year 1892, they provided a train to the Chemin de Fer de St Victor a Thizy.
Pinguely supplied 7 steam engines to the Voiron-Saint-Beron railway. In terms of numbers produced, Pinguely was not a main steam engine manufacturer. The company supplied a steam train to the Chemin de Fer du Haut-Rhone during 1930 and by 1932, Pinguely began manufacturing steam shovels. Steam locomotive production was stopped and the company started focusing instead on mobile cranes and manufacturing earthmoving machines instead.
Haulotte
Arthur Hualotte formed the beginnings of Haulotte in the year 1924, when it was known as Ateliers de Construction A. Haulotte. This business 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, research, design and development. All products were abandoned by Saubot so that the business could concentrate on self-propelled aerial work platforms.