Meet Aki Margaritis and Erika Ohlhaver of ETC Montessori in Clear Lake

Today we’d like to introduce you to Aki Margaritis and Erika Ohlhaver.

Aki and Erika, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
ETC Montessori began in 2003 as a publishing company for educational materials and curriculum aimed to satisfy the needs of Montessori schools. We began by offering innovative solutions that were based on the traditional Montessori pedagogical concepts along with ideas and innovative techniques that are based on current brain research. This combined with new innovative techniques in printing allows us to bring developmentally correct and appropriate Montessori curriculum to the educational community. Today, ETC Montessori is the largest publisher of Montessori materials serving students from ages 3-15.

Our story began by us designing and offering better Montessori timelines than what was traditionally offered. Our timelines were printed on recycled plastic/synthetic paper. Up until this time, Montessori timelines were printed on paper and then laminated. Our timelines did not need to be laminated, were waterproof, UV sealed. These features were an instant hit with our customers, who had been waiting for something new to come their way. Our company was an overnight success. From there we began to expand and brought curriculum that was aligned with standards to the Montessori classrooms.

In 2005, we began to incorporate the necessary machinery to open our own in-house printing facility. This move allowed us to have better control on the quality of what we produced, while at the same time it provided us with the opportunity to have complete control of inventory and logistics.

By 2007, we had become the largest publisher of the Montessori curriculum in the US. Two distributors came onboard, Think Education Supplies in Australia, and Mindset Learning Tools in Canada. The same year, we began to see a large push of public school Montessori programs, as many school districts were seeking alternative methods of approaching pedagogical challenges. It was imperative that these schools have a curriculum that was not only aligned with state standards but was also compliant with common core standards. Once again our company was able to stand out and meet those challenges and needs.

In 2011, responding to the need for durable materials, we began printing on solid plastic. Using a stochastic technique of laying down ink, we were able to move away from the traditional screen printing techniques of the past, and produce beautiful materials using more of an offset approach, while at the same time extending the durability of our materials by 30%.

This year, ETC Montessori partnered with Nienhuis Montessori. Nienhuis Montessori was started by Maria Montessori herself, and together the two companies are able to meet the educational needs of Montessori classrooms around the world. With over 250 Nienhuis distributors around the world, one can find ETC Montessori materials

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. However, when you are dealing with an intellectual property, this is not the case. As the reputation of our materials grew so did the imitation and copying.

We soon came to realize that if we were going to differentiate ourselves we needed to be better. For this reason, we implemented a four-prong approach.

1. We became a Total Montessori company. That means that every individual that came in contact with the creation of the curriculum we developed, from the writer to the graphic designer, to the editor, and finally to the curriculum director, had to be Montessori trained and certified.

2. We offer curriculum that is developmentally complete. While other companies make the teachers purchase individual elements separately, we believe in the completeness of the thought process. Therefore, a teacher purchasing ETC Montessori curriculum will get everything they need to implement all the necessary elements in their lesson presentation(s).

3. We are the only Montessori curriculum publisher who is able to meet American Montessori Society’s (AMS), recommended guidelines, while at the same time meeting Common Core Standards, and/or State specific standards. Furthermore, through our partnership with Nienhuis Montessori, we are also one of three companies that are able to offer Association Montessori International (AMI) approved hardwood materials in the world.

Finally, we are constantly seeking innovative printing solutions that allow our products to be known not only for their ability to stand up to everyday use, but also for their beauty. Color is an important part of the Montessori method. Every color is designed to signify a value or a concept. Through new techniques that such companies as EFI and Pantone have utilized we are able to provide our customers with the true consistent colors that the original AMI have approved but in a printed format.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
When we were first starting out, we relied primarily on the strengths that each one of us brought to the table. Erika brought 28 years of experience in the Montessori method with certifications that covered ages 3-6, 6-9 and 9-12. I brought 25 years of experience in the printing, and design field, plus 17 years of teaching middle/high school, along with my Montessori certification of ages 12-15. Montessori was gaining new grounds in the public sector at that time and with our backgrounds and understanding of the challenges and requirements that the public school teachers and administrators faced we were able to make ETC what it is.

Along the way, there have been certain individuals who stand out and who through their support have helped shape the direction the company has taken. Dorothy Ohlhaver, Erika’s mom, although she has since passed away, helped formulate much of the ethos, and the foundations, that have come to characterize our company. The Montessori teachers as a community all around the US, who field test; their input was and continues to be invaluable. Finally, Martijn Westera from Heutink, the parent company of Nienhuis Montessori. He was instrumental in the partnership between the two companies.

Contact Info:

• Address: 979 Reseda Dr
• Website: http://www.ETCmontessori.com
• Phone: 8774092929
• Email: information@edutc.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/etcmontessorionline/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ETCmontessori/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ETCmontessori
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/etc-montessori-houston

Image Credit:
ETC Montessori

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