ðɪ ˈænsɛstɚɹ ʌv tədˈeɪz dʒˌiːˌiːˈeɪ ˌeɪdʒˈiː wʌz mˈɛɾəldʒˌɛsɪlʃˌæft ˌeɪdʒˈiː ˌɛmdʒˈiː, ɪstˈæblɪʃt æz ɐ mˈɛɾəl tɹˈeɪdɪŋ kˈʌmpəni ɪn wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi wˈʌn ɪn fɹˈæŋkfɜːt ɐm mˈeɪn baɪ wˈɪlhɛlm mˈɜːtən təɡˌɛðɚ wɪð lˈiːoʊ ˈɛlɪŋɡɚ bˈɔːɹn noʊvˈɛmbɚ twˈɛnti wˈʌn, wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪfti tˈuː, ɪn fɹˈæŋkfɜːt ɐm mˈeɪn; dˈaɪd dʒuːlˈaɪ sˈɪkstiːn, nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪkstiːn, ðˈɛɹ.
The ancestor of today's GEA AG was Metallgesellschaft AG (MG), established as a metal trading company in 1881 in Frankfurt am Main by Wilhelm Merton together with Leo Ellinger (born November 21, 1852, in Frankfurt am Main; died July 16, 1916, there).