One of our very first “Strickland Stars” was the one and only, Pat Holland. Pat began her career at Strickland in the 1950s as the right-hand lady to our founder, Mr. George Elliot. She became his secretary and hit the ground running, learning all the ins and outs of the paper business right out of high school.
Pat was from the small town of Cullman, AL — known for strawberry farming at the time — and some of our customers gave her the nickname, “strawberry girl”.
In the words of Strickland salesman Bobby Wyatt, Pat quickly became one of the “guys” in the office shortly after taking the job. He said that she was always the loudest person in the room, and you could always tell if someone was in trouble because you would hear her all the way down the hall. Outside of the office, she enjoyed spending time with staff on fishing trips down at the gulf, always showing up all of the boys with her fishing skills.
Pat learned the business by working directly with all of the paper mills’ managers, building and keeping long term relationships that she carried through her career at Strickland. She started out in customer service, then moved on to become a sales manager and the only purchasing agent at the time. Overall, she was a great asset to the company and always made sure business was taken care of.
After a long career of 50 years, Pat decided it was time to enjoy retirement. The Strickland family held her retirement party at The Club as a special way to say “thank you” for her many years of great service. She left behind an unshakable legacy, and we are happy to still honor her today!
