By Paul Dekok, Vice President, Phosphate – PotashCorp 

Today marks a significant anniversary for PCS Phosphate Company Inc. (PotashCorp-Aurora), our current and former employees, contractors and all those who are impacted by our company throughout the region.

A half-century ago, plans to begin phosphate mining near Aurora were formalized. A new industry in Beaufort County was born and a promising future became a legacy of safe operations, environmental stewardship and community support.

These are our core values. We take them seriously – and we live them every day.

We are guided by these principles on a local and global scale. We invest in local organizations and projects through corporate and site contributions and employee volunteerism. Our employees pledged more than $93,000 in our recently concluded United Way campaign. With the company match, more than $186,000 will go to worthwhile local causes.  Last year, we donated almost $1 million in cash and in-kind support throughout eastern North Carolina. Our site also contributes to economic growth through jobs, local spending — $37 million in 2013 — and paid local taxes exceeding $6 million.

Phosphate ore is found in ancient sea fossils. The phosphate ore found in deposits at our Aurora site is among the highest quality in the world. At our facility, we source and process ore to make fertilizer, animal feed and industrial products. We transport these products all over the world by rail, road and sea through the port at Morehead City.

At our site, and throughout the company, we help meet the growing need for food security in the world.  To grow more food, the world needs more fertilizer. Our products help speed crop maturity and aid in photosynthesis. As the world population rises and diets improve in developing countries, phosphate extracted here plays a vital role in meeting an important need.

As the world’s largest crop nutrient company, PotashCorp plays an integral role in global food production. The company produces the three essential nutrients required to help farmers grow healthier, more abundant crops. With global population rising and diets improving in developing countries, crop nutrients such as potash, phosphates and nitrogen offer a responsible and practical solution to help produce the food we need, from the land we have.

To be a good neighbor, we must care for our resources and pay attention to our environmental footprint. We will continue to do so responsibly. Rooted in respect for people and the planet, this goal reflects our focus on doing the right thing – with no harm to people and no damage to the environment.

We are here to stay. Our success depends on mutually beneficial relationships with our neighbors in the community. We give back where we live and work to demonstrate our commitment to eastern North Carolina in a very real way. This is important to us, because it’s the right thing to do.

As we commemorate our fiftieth anniversary today, we turn our focus to staying true to our values: becoming the safest resource company in the world as we protect the environment and build on key relationships for decades to come.