With new regional offices rooted and attracting an expanding client base, the 90's had MTS TRAVEL focusing its growth within the U.S. market. The company implemented a strategy to more effectively differentiate the multiple product and market directions it had been successfully developing beyond the core religious/non-profit institutional niche.

At the same time, the company continued to hone services tailored to the national U.S. religious market, such as implementation of automation technologies and development of direct service contracts with large accounts. Alliances were secured to augment services to certain markets, such as the THOR24 consortium offering MTS TRAVEL clients preferred hotel rates and 24-hour emergency support.

To effectively address travel industry changes in a globalized economy, MTS TRAVEL strengthened its buying leverage with select providers which positively impacted its competitive value to customers. That effort paralleled the pursuit of crossover opportunities in the tours, group and leisure travel segments. In addition, acquisitions such as Heritage Travel of Ephrata, Pennsylvania, advanced MTS TRAVEL' product leadership in the Holy Land and religious heritage market. Other acquisitions were completed in the last three years to further the expansion: All Points Lennox (APL) Travel of Colorado Springs, and Bryan Tours (and its companion entities Bryan Travel and Delta Travel) of Jackson, Mississippi.

In March 2001, MTS TRAVEL again expanded its customer reach and services with the addition of a mid-West presence through the joining of Menno Travel Service of Kansas, Inc. and MTS TRAVEL. The integration of the two firms brings together organizations that at one time were part of the original single entity formed as Menno Travel Service, Inc., in 1955.


MTS TRAVEL has successfully bridged the traditional "agent" model by encouraging knowledge-based consulting through employee involvement in diverse aspects of the business. The company strives to maintain the highest professional standards in service fulfillment with unconditional integrity and exceptional value. For example, MTS TRAVEL has a history of empathetic service to the mission programs of religious and non-profit organizations. This is derived from direct familiarity with the outreach programs and mission imperatives of clients, or personal experience with various denominations or agencies.

The same approach to customer service and satisfaction is applied to stakeholder relations. MTS TRAVEL rewards employees with compensation and benefits that are in the upper third of the industry for comparable responsibilities. This contributes to greater longevity with the company as MTS TRAVEL employees average ten years of continuous service. The company participates in local and client community endeavors, and supports employees who do so.

The empathetic, knowledge-based service model effectively transfers to commercial tour, leisure and corporate travel services as more customers are engaging MTS TRAVEL for the full variety of their travel management needs.