Astra was founded by the Decree of the Government Presidency of NR Croatia, on 5 June 1952, as a specialized company for the purposes of reexport and representation of foreign firms.

The purpose of this founding was to use economic possibilities we had as a non-alignment country in the time of the Cold War, economic blockades and the international trade based on the interstate trade agreements with commodity lists and clearing system of payment between countries.

Astra began its business with modest initial capital, in unpretentious premises in the center of Zagreb.

Thanks to visionary quality and the dedication of the founding team, Astra soon grew into the biggest foreign trade company in Croatia by the volume of business, the number of employees and the results of its work.

For many years the company grew and became stronger, with the purpose of concentrating qualified personnel and financial resources, it developed its own foreign network for more successful export of domestic goods and more quality import of necessary equipment, raw materials and production materials intended primarily for export-oriented companies. Business activities also included representation of foreign firms on the domestic market, countertrade and barter trade, engineering and marketing services, international cooperation and investment work abroad. Astra is also the cofounder of nine domestic and seven foreign banks.

By merging small hotels and investing in their development, the company also took part in the development of the spas Stubičke, Krapinske and Tuheljske Toplice. It completed its tourist activity by founding the tourist agency Astratours.

The company also invested in the car industry by building warehouses, technical car examination stations, and car repair services specialized for the brands Volkswagen and Audi, which was selling on the domestic market.

In the agricultural industry we also dealt with foreign and domestic trade.

In 1985 Astra's total foreign trade turnover was $1.46 billion, of which export was worth $607 million, import $538 million, trade with the Third World countries $181million and the turnover of foreign company representation and consignment was $135 milion. During that period Astra had 1770 employees - 550 of them had university degree.

The development of the foreign network of Astra companies and branches started with the establishment of the company Omnico in Vienna in 1952. The network played an important role in the development of the foreign trade business and the introduction of our goods to different foreign markets. At one point the network included 28 foreign business units in the world trade centers (Moscow, New York, London, Paris, Milan, Frankfurt, Peking, Budapest, Accra, Lagos etc.).

In the 1990s, with the disintegration of Yugoslavia, transition to different business conditions and privatization of some parts, and especially under the influence of the war consequences which were very severe for Astra, the volume of business activities and the market itself decreased and many employees left the company. The end of 1990s was the culmination of the crisis for Astra. In the beginning of this century Astra is being restructured, new programs are introduced and the range of business is narrowed and specialized. By its turnover and the number of its employees, Astra has been a medium-sized joint-stock company since than. The Republic of Croatia is a one-hundred-percent owner of Astra's shares. The business is stable so every year Astra achieves its growth and profit targets.