01 November 2025
Pat Butt
25 years ago, almost to the day, Pat took over as Managing Director of Decorfolia Limited. A handful of you might even remember her predecessor Bron, who retired in 2000 to resume her motor rallying days in her original 1970 World Cup Rally Car – see our newsletter for the full details.
Pat has been at the helm, through the banking crisis of 2007/09, the Eurozone crisis of 2008/14, Covid in 2020 and of course Brexit (which overnight increased the cost of importing our plants by 30%). She survived austerity and cutbacks, bought a nursery to operate from when our landlord gave us notice to leave and above all the ever increasing bureaucracy that has been the signature of this 21st Century.
When recently asked if she regretted taking on the business her reply was “I would do it all over again in a heartbeat”... “what an adventure, and for the most part always exciting and fun”.
She has now taken well earned retirement, passing the reigns over to her youngest sister Sue, who has been an avid apprentice for 11 years, learning the business from the bottom up, but with her head, heart and feet firmly in the 21st Century.
Pat’s message to anyone and everyone reading this is:-
“Thank you all for your support and loyalty, I have made some great friends over the years. Both clients, suppliers and colleagues, we have helped each other over the difficult periods. Of course my very special thanks goes to my great colleagues who smile, battle through traffic, park miles away from buildings they need to work in and hopefully give you all the very best service possible. Over the years you will remember Anita, Margaret in the office and of course my two special and long suffering guys Mark Fryer and Mark Pearce, without whom this would have been a very different story and I trust they will continue to support Sue as they have me. Of course my biggest thanks goes to Sue and her family for joining the madness that is Decorfolia and I wish her every success and happiness in this new chapter of her life.”
“Fondest wishes to you all”
Pat
Pat and Sue