Local Spending

The company recognizes the value of local purchasing. By supporting local businesses in the supply chain, it benefits from proximity of supply, improves the stability of local economies and helps attract additional investment to the area. All these factors can contribute to improved community support for its operations.

Under its company-wide purchasing policy, PotashCorp's purchasing managers must consider the potential contribution to the local economy and to accessibility, as well as price and quality. Each production site has developed its own procedures to implement this policy.

In 2002, PotashCorp started to measure the percentage of local purchasing across its operations. Excluding raw materials, electricity and transportation, company tracking shows an increase from 55 percent to 62 percent over the five years.

Local Hiring

It is common practice at PotashCorp to hire local residents at its operations. Accordingly, the majority of employees reside in and around its host communities.