During 2005, the corporation Pinguely-Haulotte was renamed Haulotte Group. This name change 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 obtained Bil-Jax, who was the US' largest scaffold manufacturer. Now, Haulotte Group has one plant in Spain, three factories in France, one in Romania, near the City of Pitesti. There is a new plant that opened during the winter of the year 2008. This factory is only 1 km away from the existing plant near the city of Pitesti within Arges County. The plant is called Arges II. There are also two plants in the USA, the former Bill-Jax.
Pinguely
Alexandre Pinguely established the Pinguely Company in the year 1881 in Lyon, France. Initially, they built steam locomotives. The company eventually evolved into making machinery. In 1892, they supplied a steam engine to the Chemin de Fer de St Victor a Thizy.
Pinguely supplied 7 trains to the Voiron-Saint-Beron railway. In terms of 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 1932, Pinguely began manufacturing steam shovels. Steam locomotive production was stopped and the company began concentrating instead on mobile cranes and manufacturing earthmoving machines instead.
Haulotte
In the year 1924, Haulotte was established in L'Horme by Arthur Haulotte. The company was known as Ateliers de Construction A. Haulotte. This company specialized in manufacturing aerial platforms, mobile cranes and derricks.
Pinguely-Haulotte
Manufacturing it was decided to be sub-contracted to Pinguely-Haulotte, who was 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.