[2] The company was founded in 1952 as a factory for ball wreaths by Hans Breuer and Joseph Steingass.

[4] As early as 1960, Jost expanded to the UK and to apartheid-era South Africa (plant in Chloorkop).

Further acquisitions followed in 2008 with the manufacturer of trailer axle steering systems Tridec and in 2015 Mercedes-Benz TrailerAxleSystems.

[4][5] In 2008, Jost, which is considered a hidden champion,[6] was itself acquired by the private equity firm Cinven.

The takeover of the Swedish company Ålö Holding AB, which specializes in agricultural front loaders, took place in 2020.