For more than 15 years, Monica Staats ‘97 has run a successful printing company in Ohsweken, Ontario. 

Though she never expected to become an entrepreneur when she graduated from Mohawk‘s Chemical Technician Program, Monica Staats ’97 has been running a successful printing company for the past 15 years. After working in Toronto for nearly eight years, she grew tired of the commute and so Staats began working in her community. Soon after, she decided to start her own business. “It‘s common among people in my community to pursue entrepreneurship opportunities,“ says Staats. “I just decided to take it on.“ 

Based in Ohsweken, MTS Native Services provides design, printing and finishing services to organizations across the province. “We‘ve grown a lot over the years, I‘ve invested as we did well and the business is thriving on great service without the need to advertise.“ Staats says her education at Mohawk taught her the quality control that has raised the standards of the services her business provides and helped her get to where she is today. “It‘s really about being able to dedicate yourself and a willingness to learn.“ 

For Staats, it‘s important that her team works diligently to bring a client‘s vision to life and represent their brand in the most professional way possible. “Grand River Employment and Training has been excellent in helping us find talented and skilled people.“ Andrea J. Williams, owner of PathDMS and Williams Consulting, says, “MTS Native Services is impressive on multiple levels. They listen effectively to what the project is about and the services I am seeking and bring forth beautiful Indigenous design ideas for our consideration that symbolizes the vision and conveys the image we require for the product.“ 

Staats ensures that MTS Native Services leaves a positive impact on the community. Over the years, the company has proudly supported various fundraising events hosted by clients such as Ontario First Nations Technical Services Corporation (OFNTSC), Grand River Employment and Training, The Cayuga Language Program called Dwadewayęhstaˀ Gayogo̲ho:nǫˀ, and Six Nations Community Living. MTS Native Services also helps raise scholarship funds for students who have chosen to pursue a career in the science and technology fields through the OFNTSC Annual Student Classic golf fundraiser. 

MTS Native Services was pleased to work on a project for the Native Women‘s Association of Canada that was featured on APTN and used nationally in schools for anti-bullying campaigns. It‘s projects like these that make Monica particularly proud of the business she has built and the dedicated team she has the pleasure of working with each day. 

By: Kat Clark ‘10

This story was originally published in Fall 2019 of the Mohawk Alumni In Touch magazine.