| Founding | 1937 by Willi Ohst |
| Location | Rathenow, Brandenburg |
| Board | Norbert Ohst (Chairman) Stephan Dunke (Market) Gerd Hielscher (Production) |
| Products | Cementless and cemented implant systems Instruments |
| Services | Development, certification, prototyping, manufacturing, sterile packaging, logistics |
| Customers | Distributors and manufacturers of orthopaedic joint implants |
| Employees | 170 |
| Business- volume (2008) |
18,000 hip joints 16,000 knee joints |
Facts
History |
|
| 1937 | Willi Ohst, grandfather of today's company head, founds a craftsman's workshop and manufactured instrument equipment for the optical industry in Rathenow. |
| 1947 | Following the death of his father, Wolfgang Ohst takes over his father's company at only 19 years of age. The tool maker quickly expands production: test machines for the paper-manufacturing industry are added. |
| 1949 - 1989 | Unlike other craftsman's workshops in the GDR, OHST maintains its independence and is not nationalised. Reason: More and more new products can be sold at a profit in non-socialist countries abroad. |
| 1985 | Introduction to the production of medical products. The first acetabular cups are developed in cooperation with Charité in Berlin. The company focuses more and more on the manufacture of joint implants. |
| 1987 | Norbert Ohst joins the company. |
| 1990 | With the fall of the Berlin wall, the optical and paper-manufacturing industries almost completely collapsed. Medical products become the main source of revenue. |
| 1991 | OHST employs six employees. The company obtains a new manufacturing building in Falkenweg 12, Rathenow. |
| 1992 | The customers demanded more than just manufacturing services. The development department was expanded and a packaging unit was added as well. |
| 1993 | The manufacture of test machines is outsourced permanently. The development, manufacture and packaging of joint implants and surgical instruments become the only business field. |
| 1994 | Norbert Ohst takes over the management from his father Wolfgang. |
| 1995 | As one of the first companies in the industry, OHST could be certified according to ISO 9001/EN46001. |
| 1999 | The company is changed to a stock company. The company shares remain completely within the family. OHST then has 49 employees. |
| 2000 | The expanded company begins having spatial limitations. Construction begins in October at Grünauer Fenn in Rathenow, today's company headquarters. |
| 2001 | Housewarming of the new business facilities in April of this year. In late-2001, the number of employees ist 71. |
| 2003 | The board is expanded: Chairman of the Board Norbert Ohst (Dipl.-Ing.) will be supported in the future by an employee of many years Stephan Dunke (degree in business administration) (market board) and Gerd Hielscher (Dipl.-Ing.) (production board). |
| 2004 | The Oskar-Patzelt Foundation awards OHST with the "Grand Prize for Mid-Sized Companies". What is known as the "Oscar for Mid-Sized Companies" is awarded each year to a company which, in addition to continuous company growth, sets itself apart through innovation and customer proximity. |
| 2005 | A new hall expands the capacities in Rathenow to a 4,100 m2 production area. Continuous investments, for example, in new ultra-sound cleaning technology. Conversion of the quality management system to the process-oriented standard ISO 13485:2003. The number of employees is then 115. |
| 2005 - 2007 | An investment package of EUR 6.2 million expands the system and machine capacities. New technologies in processing joint implant systems and operation instruments are used. |
| 2008 | OHST receives the honorary "Premier Finalist" plaque from the Oskar-Patzelt Foundation. It recognises the positive continuity of the company in its economic development. |
| 2008 - | As one of the few providers, OHST offers the complete range from development to manufacture. In 2008, 170 specialists manufacture approximately 18,000 hip joints and 16,000 knee joints. |