French access equipment manufacturer Haulotte is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, marking four decades since Pierre Saubot acquired both Pinguely and Haulotte from Creusot Loire in 1985.
Pierre Saubot
The acquisition led to a strategic shift in focus, with aerial work platform development concentrated under the Haulotte name, while Pinguely was used for the mobile crane activities.
A significant development came in December 1998 when the company went public on the Paris Stock Exchange secondary market, providing capital for international expansion. By 2005, Pinguely-Haulotte was rebranded as the Haulotte Group, with 20 sales and service subsidiaries worldwide.
One of the original manufacturing facilities
Pierre Saubot said: “It was a bold gamble and, in retrospect, almost foolish. At the time, French industry was going through a crisis, and investing all my savings in a heavy engineering company seemed unreasonable. However, driven by my passion and knowledge of the sector, I rose to the challenge. Today, I have fond memories of this adventure, with its mix of excitement, doubts, and the unfailing support of my family.”
Alexandre Saubot
Chief executive Alexandre Saubot added: "Our core mission is to protect people by offering advanced, environmentally friendly solutions. As we celebrate this milestone, we reaffirm our dedication to shaping the future of the access industry with cutting-edge technology and customer-driven innovations."
The company remains independently controlled through majority family shareholding.
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