LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) — Many people in the Lima area know the name Nutrien, but may not know exactly what happens inside the plant.
Nutrien is best known for fertilizer, with the Lima facility producing ammonia, urea, nitric acid and other products, most of which support agriculture.
The plant has been part of the Lima community since 1955, when it started as part of Standard Oil’s agricultural division. It later became part of BP, then Potash Corporation, before becoming Nutrien about a decade ago.
Agriculture remains at the heart of what happens here, but some of those products have uses people might not expect.
“Urea is what makes your sticky notes sticky. It’s what holds particleboard together. If you go to a Lowe’s or somewhere and buy insulation, a big trend right now is to get non-formaldehyde insulation. Well, the formaldehyde is replaced with urea from plants like ours.” said Russ Decker, special projects manager at Nutrien.
Nutrien says a big part of its business philosophy is giving back, with the company supporting local projects, organizations and causes through donations and employee volunteer efforts.
“We feel it’s important to pay back. I mean, the community’s letting us manufacture products right here in their backyard, and we think it’s important that we support the community. There’s a number of boards that our employees sit on… we have programs that encourage our employees to both volunteer and donate money to local causes that are important to them.” Decker added.
That community involvement is something the Greater Lima Region says it sees firsthand, with Nutrien supporting local organizations, projects and economic development.
“They are great at being a community supporter. They want to be involved… but then also think about what kind of investment they bring to the community… They are great at wanting to be a parter with so many other businesses and support what’s going on in the Greater Lima Region." said Dave Stratton, president and CEO of the Greater Lima Region.
Right now, that investment is especially visible as Nutrien goes through a major turnaround at the Lima plant.
The work brings additional contractors into the area, creating an economic impact for local hotels, restaurants, stores and other businesses.
It also represents a significant investment directly into the plant.
“This summer we’ll be investing about $145 million. Last year, we invested $68 million just to get ready for this summer. So, you put it together, that’s almost a quarter of a billion dollars of investment into the plant, which means we’re here for the long run.” said Decker.
