As Nutrien’s White Springs facility marks 60 years, Jim and Ruth Self reflect on a lifetime of memories, community, and connection — from meeting on site to building a family legacy that continues through generations.

For Jim and Ruth Self, White Springs has been more than a workplace. It has been a hub of their community – and their lives – for six decades.

“We ended up being more like family than co-workers,” recalls Ruth. “Most everybody who worked there was from the three counties – Columbia, Hamilton and Suwannee. Everybody knew everybody. It was a special place.”

White Springs was the “special place” where Jim and Ruth first met. Jim, who earned a degree in chemistry from the University of Alabama, joined Occidental Chemicals in 1966 when the original chemical plant was being built on the site. Ruth joined the public relations unit in 1974, working on the monthly site newspaper and coordinating events and tours. They married in 1991 and retired together in 1995.

Throughout their careers, Ruth and Jim saw the facility grow and adapt to changes in the world around it. When President Jimmy Carter placed an embargo on phosphate products exported to Russia in 1979 – just as the Swift Creek Complex was opening – it posed a significant threat to operations, but White Springs continued to operate and move forward.

“We had bumps along the way,” says Jim. “Russia was our biggest customer. One day we had the business and the next day we didn’t. Thank goodness we brought in the new technology at Swift Creek and could produce our own power. Then we expanded to different places and kept on going.”

Pictured: The Suwannee River Chemical plant, circa 1965.

The ability to keep White Springs operating and successful through the twists and turns of changing market conditions has made it an essential part of Nutrien’s operations and the region.

“It gave people in this area real opportunities,” Ruth says. “You either worked for the state or you went to work at White Springs. It became the backbone of the community.”

“We had a lot of emphasis on safety,” remembers Jim. “That was one of our big goals. We had these safety dinners that really were about the camaraderie and talking about things that were important to all of us. We had a mindset that we were responsible for each other. I always said I could deal with anything – except seeing someone get hurt on site.”

Today, the Self’s family ties to the site continue. Ruth’s nephew, Dwayne Stormant, is a dragline operator. Jim’s nephew, Stan Posey, is Senior Manager, Environment & Land. 

“It’s a legacy,” Ruth says. “Generations of families have passed through those gates.”

Though the facility has evolved and the name on the gate now reads Nutrien, the Selfs still feel a strong connection to the operation that has been a cornerstone of their community for 60 years.

“It’s always been part of our lives,” says Ruth. “The people, the memories—that sense of family never left.”