The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
A Spalding man who played a huge role in the horticulture industry locally has died aged 90.
Keith Butters, who set up Butters Factory Shop on Kellett Gate, first started as a young boy grading bulbs at Van Geest Nurseries and ended up spending 27 years working with them.
At the age of 21 he helped with the new banana business unloading some of the first stocks from St Lucia.
He decided to go alone creating Keith Butters Limited on June 25, 1973 with help from lifetime friend Bill Edelman, Jonny Jakobsen from Denmark and Antoine van Heleputte from Belgium.
He started from the family home in Halmer Gate but soon had to rent greenhouses off Marsh Road.
The business continued to grow rapidly and in 1978 Keith bought a nursery on Kellett Gate which to this day operates as part of Flamingo Plants.
The company became the leading supplier of house plants to garden centres and supermarkets in the 1980s and a Butters showroom at Baytree was created.
Keith decided to take a step back aged 70 to spend more time travelling and with his family.
A spokesman for the family said: “The name Keith Butters became synonymous with quality, reliability and value.
“Working alongside passionate colleagues he always maintained ‘you are only as good as the people around you.’
“Quick to make a decision and equally quick to own his mistakes, he was a principled man with strong values and beliefs and did not suffer fools lightly.
“He has built a lasting legacy, not just on the local area, but around the country and the world.
“Keith leaves behind a loving wife and family.”
A private family funeral is to take place on March 10 followed at 2pm by a celebration of his life at Spalding Methodist Church in Broad Street.
Instead of flowers the family are raising money for the Marie Curie Foundation.
You can donate at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/KeithButters
