When Division Laundry & Cleaners purchased a flood-damaged laundry facility in Muskogee, OK, in late 2023, some industry observers questioned whether the company was taking on more risk than reward.
However, nearly four years after first expanding into Oklahoma by acquiring Angelica facilities in Dallas and Houston, President/CEO Patrick R. Garcia says the decision has proven to be one of the company’s most successful investments.
Earlier this month, Division’s efforts earned a “Perseverance Award” from the Greater Muskogee Chamber of Commerce, Port Authority of Muskogee.
In an interview with Textile Services Weekly, Garcia traced his company’s opportunity in the Sooner State back to February 2022. At that time, Division had acquired Angelica’s Dallas and Houston plants. The deal included a depot in Moore, OK, which served hospitals throughout the state. The depot near Oklahoma City gave Division its first foothold in the Sooner State. It exposed the company to healthcare opportunities that were largely unfamiliar at the time. “We were on a learning curve,” Garcia said. “We didn’t know the Oklahoma market yet.”
As Division established itself in the state, opportunities followed. The company secured contracts with Native American tribal healthcare organizations in 2022 after talks with tribal leaders who said they were unhappy with existing service providers. Garcia said Division’s emphasis on service, delivery performance and quality helped win their confidence.
At about the same time, the company learned that the former healthcare linen plant in Muskogee was available. The facility, damaged by flooding in May 2022, was purchased by a general contractor, and its owners initially intended to use it as an equipment warehouse. After a year’s ownership, the owners decided to part ways with the facility.
Rather than focusing solely on the flood damage, Garcia looked at the broader opportunity.
“We began asking ourselves, ‘What if we operated a laundry in Muskogee? Could this be an overlooked opportunity?’” he recalled. The plant can process roughly 16 million lbs. (9.07 million kg) annually. The facility already had extensive equipment, including two tunnel washers, three ironer lines from Chicago Dryer, some small-piece folders and overhead rail systems. The key question was whether the company could prevent the flooding.
Some people advised Division to back out of the deal. Garcia remembers hearing warnings that the flooding would continue and that the equipment might be beyond repair. Instead, the company conducted its own due diligence, dispatching engineers from its San Antonio headquarters plant to assess the facility, rather than relying on outside consultants. “My sense was, what caused the flood?” Garcia said. “Why not go to the root problem and learn: ‘Why did it flood?’”
That investigation led Division to commission engineering studies and confer with city and county officials. Local leaders embraced the project and committed to addressing drainage issues surrounding the property, Garcia said. Improvements included canal cleanup, widening, and excavation, along with removing debris that had obstructed water flow.
Ultimately, Division bought the property in November 2023 and spent months restoring equipment, sanitizing systems, upgrading the facility and preparing it for operation. The plant had a soft start in September 2025. A formal ribbon-cutting ceremony followed on Nov. 13, 2025.
Today, Garcia says the investment has exceeded his team’s expectations. “Yes, we are,” he answered when asked whether the facility is generating a return on investment (ROI). “It is a really good-performing plant.”
The laundry has benefited from the return of former employees who lived in Muskogee and were familiar with the operation, including Charlie Combs, who previously had served as the director of plant operations for the Muskogee plant. He is now the general manager in the refurbished plant.
Soon after opening, Division was asked to provide backup laundry services for the Saint Francis Health System in Tulsa, OK, further raising the company’s profile in Oklahoma. Division continues to invest in the plant, adding finishing equipment, folders and other upgrades, while exploring growth opportunities in both the healthcare and hospitality markets.
Most importantly, the flooding that once threatened the project hasn’t returned. “Not at all,” Garcia said when asked whether the laundry has flooded since reopening. “We haven’t seen anything at all.” In hindsight, he credits the successful rehabilitation to careful research and a willingness to question conventional wisdom. “Who in their right mind would buy this plant?” he quipped. “I don’t know, but I thought, ‘Well, we’ll look at it.’”
Pictured above: (l/r) Charlie Combs, general manager, Division Muskogee; Patrick Garcia, president/CEO; and Marcela Paige, HR/safety manager.
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