During the year 2005, the company 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 manufacturing articulated work platforms, telescopic work platforms, vertical mast-work platforms, scissor lifts and trailer mounted work platforms.
On the 24th of July, 2008 the Haulotte Group obtained Bil-Jax, who was the US' largest scaffold manufacturer. Now, Haulotte Group has one factory in Spain, three plants in France, one plant in Romania, near Pitesti City. There is a new factory that opened during the winter of 2008. This plant is only 1 km away from the existing factory near Pitesti City within the County of Arges. The plant is called Arges II. There are also two plants in the United States, the former Bill-Jax.
Pinguely
Alexandre Pinguely established the Pinguely Company in the year 1881 within Lyon, France. At first, they constructed steam engines. The company evolved into making machinery eventually. During 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. In terms of numbers produced, Pinguely was not a main steam engine manufacturer. The company supplied a steam locomotive to the Chemin de Fer du Haut-Rhone in 1930 and by the year 1932, Pinguely began manufacturing steam shovels. Production of steam locomotives was stopped and the company began focusing instead on mobile cranes and manufacturing earthmoving machinery instead.
Haulotte
Arthur Hualotte formed the beginnings of Haulotte during 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 marketing and engineering, research, design and development. All products were abandoned by Saubot so that the company could focus on self-propelled aerial work platforms.