Our Heritage since 1892
The concept of auctioning was brought to Sri Lanka or Ceylon as it was then known by Mr. Schokman a Burgher Planter domiciled in Hatton. On certain Sundays he used to auction furniture of colleagues leaving the Country.
Mr. Schokman made friends with Mr Edwin De Alwis Samerawickreme the Grandfather of the present two Partners, who was the Sales Manager of Tuckers / Millers at the time and they met at the Horse Races at the Ceylon Turf Club. Together they formed a partnership Company to be the pioneer Chartered Auctioneers in Ceylon. Thus in 1892 Schokman and Samerawickreme was established. Some years later with the demise of Mr. Schokman, Mr. Edwin Samerawickreme continued and preserved the business under the same name of “Schokman & Samerawickreme”.
His sons Lloyd, Derrick and Carl who joined the company were instrumental in expanding the business to Colombo with the head office in Kandy. In 1955 the other son Shirley joined his father and the brothers. Having had his early education at St Sylvester’s College, Kandy Shirley took to auctioneering like a duck to water. He became a master in the business and soon made a name for himself in the Auctioneering field and came to be well known in all circles. With his vision for the company and the dedication for the profession, he nurtured Schokman & Samerawickreme to the status of being “THE” reputed auctioneer and Valuers in Sri Lanka. During his 50 years in the trade he expanded the business island wide.
Company Overview
With Shirley Samerawickreme’s sons Navinda and Anuja joining the father, began the third generation of Samerawickreme’s in the family business. Having had their initial training under the “Maestro” in the trade they have acquired maximum knowledge and experience over the years and have guided the company from strength to strength, specializing in Furniture and Vehicle Auctions, Real Estate Brokering and Valuations.
Without doubt Navinda and Anuja being the two most experienced auctioneers in the country with 46 years of experience between them, they are committed to maintaining the highest levels of professionalism, ethics, confidentiality and transparency throughout it’s business process, a commitment that would be honoured by the future generation of the Samerawickremes’.
Schokman & Samerawickreme achieved another milestone when we were awarded the ISO 9001:2015 certification for the following activities;
- Auctioning
- Valuation
- Real Estate Brokering
This entitles us to be the first Company in South Asia Pacific to have obtained ISO certification in the field of Auctioning & Real Estate Brokering in South Asia Pacific. The company which originated in Kandy is now an internationally recognized name. At present we have tied up with internationally renowned Real Estate companies such as Savills Australia and Cushman & Wakefield. Owned and managed by the Samerawickreme family, Schokman & Samerawickreme is committed to maintaining the highest levels of professionalism, ethics and confidentiality throughout its business process, a commitment that will be honoured by the future generations of Samerawickreme's.
A product of Trinity College Kandy, he began the third generation of Samerawickreme's in the family business. Navinda has been in the trade for the past 24 years and is an experienced Auctioneer and a Valuer. His determination has transformed the 126 year old company to the modern age. He championed in obtaining the ISO certification thus elevating the status of it to the first Company in South Asia Pacific to have obtained an ISO certification in the field of Auctioneering and Real Estate Brokering. He is an avid social worker and has been conferred the Melvin Jones Fellow by the Lions Clubs International in 97/98. He also functions as Managing Director of Mr. Move a subsidiary of Schokman & Samerawickreme.
Anuja joined the company in the year 1999 on completion of his education at Trinity College Kandy. He is well known as an Auctioneer and a Valuer. He is in charge of the over-all operations of the establishment.