The roots of MPS Property Services Ltd. go all the way back to 1985. With no summer job, but an entrepreneurial spirit, Jim Monk began “Superstudent Property Services”, with the goal of mowing lawns in order to pay his university tuition. Operating out of a used Chevy S-10, Jim learned valuable lessons in horticulture. For example, plant identification was an important skill, which helped to differentiate weeds from perennials. Practicing in Mrs. Johnson’s garden, Jim quickly discovered what happens when prized daisies are removed instead of weeds!

Once through school, wanderlust took over, and Jim spent the next 2 winters backpacking through Europe (witnessing the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989), then Australia, New Zealand Fiji, Hawaii and Southeast Asia. Upon return from his travels, Jim met his future wife, Janice, and with a family on the way, knew it was time to either get a “real” job, or turn Superstudent into a real business. Jim chose the latter, renamed the company Markham Property Services, and began to offer snow plowing services for his residential maintenance customers.

At the same time, jim took on a partner in longtime friend and rugby teammate, Dave Gallifent. Dave had been running his own company, Greenwood Landscape, which provided residential landscape design-build services.

The company focussed on the residential market for a number of years until commercial clients began to become a better fit for the young company. Eventually the residential maintenance and snow plowing services were taken over by a former employee, and MPS focussed on commercial maintenance and snow management services, as well as residential landscape construction. Growth in the commercial sector was rapid as MPS took on large clients such as American Express, AC Neilsen and Great West Life. Snow became a major focus for MPS as liability and safety concerns forced property owners to contract top tier companies. Sunnybrook hospital, Centenary hospital, Ontario Science Centre and Centennial College are part of the snow portfolio today.

During the transition to commercial grounds maintenance and snow management, MPS continued to focus on landscape design build services. With highly skilled installation crews, we love to create and build fantastic oases and outdoor living spaces!

As the company grew, it was necessary to relocate the yard and shop several times; now we operate out of a 3 acre space with a 12,000 square foot building. In this space, we have our own dedicated team of mechanics to keep all of our wheels turning. With a dedicated, long term management team in place; Jim and Dave, and the whole MPS team, look forward to continued growth, and continuing to develop new business relationships!