George Steuart Group of Companies (George Steuarts) is Sri Lanka's oldest mercantile establishment, having been established in 1835 during British occupation of Ceylon. It is the oldest surviving mercantile firm in the country, with a recorded history dating back to the early 19th century, and is the first on the register of companies in Sri Lanka[1]
Having begun operations as a merchant banker and then a produce broker, George Steuarts today includes businesses engaged in tea, exports, health, leisure, travel, real estate, telecommunications, shipping, insurance, solutions, recruitment and higher education.
History
The Company traces its origins to Captain James Steuart (1790-1870), a British sea captain, who sailed the southern seas in the early 1800s and settled in Ceylon in 1818. Seeing the commercial potential of the island, Captain Steuart set himself up as merchant and banker. Steuart was subsequently appointed "Master Attendant of the Roads of Colombo", a position which precluded him from continuing his commercial activities.[2][3] As a result, he invited his younger brother George (1808-1896),[4]