A U.S. senator from North Carolina has written the mayor of New York City seeking to reverse a decision allowing a foreign firm to supply granite for a 911 Memorial rather than a Mount Airy company.

Sen. Richard Burr sent the letter to Mayor Michael Bloomberg several days ago in the wake of a disclosure in December that North Carolina Granite Corp. apparently had been outbid by an Italian supplier for the $5.5 million contract involved.

While conflicting reports surfaced initially as to whether the contracting decision was final, recent contacts with representatives of Burr and fellow Sen. Kay Hagan of North Carolina indicate that the Mount Airy company has been left out of the mix. Both U.S. senators from this state, as well as Virginia Foxx, Surry County’s congressional representative, intervened in the matter.

Burr first wrote Bloomberg about the contract decision in January, leading up to his most recent letter last Friday, in which he states:

“After utilizing all traditional channels to advocate on behalf of the North Carolina Granite Corporation’s bid to contribute to the National September 11 Memorial’s completion, I am appalled to learn that the stone-fabrication work has been awarded to a foreign firm.”

Burr’s terse four-paragraph letter adds, “It is my understanding that the general contractor had the ability to use domestic fabrication for the stone, but instead chose to contract with a foreign company. With unemployment hovering in the double digits, I find it incomprehensible that more consideration was not given to an American company trying to keep Americans working.”

Though the senator acknowledges that the contract is a done deal, his letter suggests corrective action to allow a U.S. company to “take part in the construction of this uniquely American memorial.”

“I strongly encourage you to reconsider the decision to use a foreign company for work that can proudly be completed by an American company,” Burr’s letter concludes.

When the contract controversy arose in mid-December, North Carolina Granite Corp. officials had said that the company might have to lay off workers in response to not being awarded the 911 contract.

“We haven’t done anything at this time,” Carlos Goad, the firm’s vice president of human resources, said earlier this month regarding personnel cuts. “We have work right now.”

But Goad added that the company did lay off workers earlier and “if we had this (911) project, they would probably be working right now.” The company employs about 135 people.

The North Carolina Granite official said that a troubling aspect emerging during the process concerned whether the contract actually had been awarded.

“It appears the 911 commission has not been completely truthful with our senators,” Goad said. A representative of the National September 11 Memorial Committee said at one point that the matter had not been decided, although this apparently was not the case.

North Carolina Granite Corp. had received no official word on the contracting decision as of the end of last week, according to the company spokesman, but is not expecting to receive the job. “Right now, we’re in a holding pattern,” Goad said then, adding that the company was awaiting something official from Burr’s and Hagan’s offices.

Stephanie Allen, a spokeswoman for Sen. Hagan, said several days ago that the senator also hadn’t received information on the decision, based on email and other correspondence. “I’m not exactly sure what the end result is,” Allen said, but she was of the belief that North Carolina Granite won’t be involved in the memorial effort.

North Carolina Granite Corp. sought to be a subcontractor to supply stone for the 911 Memorial in New York City, working with another entity vying to be the prime contractor.

Initial reports indicating that the Mount Airy firm had lost out on the project brought a flurry of protest from citizens. Many were outraged at the prospect of a foreign contractor supplying granite for a memorial to the 2001 tragedy that still stirs emotions nearly nine years later.

Aaron Groen, a spokesman for Rep. Foxx, said Wednesday that 11 people had written to Foxx’s office expressing support for North Carolina Granite Corp.

Sens. Burr and Kay Hagan, as well as Foxx, earlier wrote to Bloomberg pointing out the Mount Airy company’s record of providing granite for significant U.S. memorials.

The 911 Memorial is being overseen by the Port Authority of New York City and while the project is a non-profit endeavor, some of the money for the memorial does come from the federal government.

Contact Tom Joyce at tjoyce@mtairynews.com or at 719-1924.