SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 336

WHEREAS, Family-owned businesses play a vital role in the communities of the Lone Star State, and in 2019, the Garcia family is celebrating the 80th anniversary of Division Laundry of San Antonio; and

WHEREAS, Peter C. Garcia, an immigrant from San Luis Potosí, Mexico, founded Division Laundry as a one-man operation in a small building inside Fort Sam Houston in 1939; his business originally provided laundry and sewing services to members of the 2nd Infantry Division, and after it outgrew its location, Mr. Garcia moved it into a facility on North New Braunfels Avenue; he again relocated the business to a new building designed by the National Institute of Laundering and the National Dry Cleaning Institute in 1964, and within a decade, it began to transition from being a military uniform processor to a laundry linen processor; and

WHEREAS, In 1992, Mr. Garcia's wife, Cecilia Garcia, became president of Division Laundry; the business continued to flourish under her leadership and later under the guidance of the couple's son, Patrick R. Garcia, its current president; the strength and resilience of the Garcia family were instrumental in rebuilding the company after its plant was devastated by a fire in 2001, and two years later, they celebrated the opening of a new plant in its place; in honor of the company's "rise from the ashes," a stylized phoenix now appears on its logo and branding; and

WHEREAS, Today, Division Laundry continues to honor its founder's commitment to service and workmanship, and the Garcias are now welcoming a third generation of family members, Patricia Luna, Patrick A. Garcia, and Theresa Garcia, onto the leadership team; through the years, the company has established contracts with clients that include hospital systems and hotel chains, and it is a major provider of jobs in a socioeconomically disadvantaged area of San Antonio; and

WHEREAS, Over the course of eight decades, the Garcia family's hard work, vision, and commitment to excellence have made Division Laundry an inspiring success story, and it is a pleasure to join in congratulating its members on this special milestone; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 86th Legislature, hereby commemorate the 80th anniversary of Division Laundry of San Antonio and extend to its current owners sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That an official copy of this Resolution be prepared for the Garcia family as an expression of high regard by the Texas Senate. Menéndez

________________________________

President of the Senate

I hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted by the Senate on March 13, 2019.

________________________________

Secretary of the Senate

________________________________

Member, Texas Senate