North Carolina Granite Corporation lost $5 million in business after a bid to provide granite for the National September 11 Memorial in New York City was awarded to companies in Africa and Italy.

Carlos Goad, vice president of human relations, said in a Tuesday afternoon interview that he is disappointed in the decision, which would have benefited an American company and provided work for the employees at North Carolina Granite Corp. for the next two years. Instead, it was denied and given to a companies abroad.

He said the designers and architects want a specific type of “green” granite which is not available in the United States. Even if N.C. Granite gets the bid, they will contract with a company in Canada to get the type of granite that will be used in the monument.

“We were surprised to hear from the stone setter that they had been instructed by someone in a level above them to purchase the granite from Africa and have it fabricated in Italy, then shipped to New York,” Goad said.

He said the company contacted representatives in Washington, D.C., hoping to bring some attention to the problem.

“Although it’s not a decision that is made by our elected officials, we were hoping that they would be able to put some pressure on someone, whoever made the decision. At this point, nobody is willing to admit making the decision,” Goad said.

Goad said that if N.C. Granite got the contract, it would manage the project and fabricate one-third of the granite here. The other two-thirds would be contracted through two granite companies in Canada. He said the reasoning behind that decision was made because of the quick turn around needed in order to finish the memorial in time.

According to the official National September 11 Memorial Web site, the Memorial design, by Michael Arad and Peter Walker, was selected through a competition that drew more than 5,200 entrants from 63 nations.

“The Memorial Plaza will be one of the most sustainable, green plazas ever built, with nearly 400 oak trees surrounding the Memorial pools,” according to the site.

Goad said the green that is being referred to for the project doesn’t just mean green granite and lots of trees, it means reducing carbon emissions and providing local jobs.

“The green — that refers to purchasing the materials within a 500-mile radius so that there’s not a lot of carbon fuels to transport the material. They designed the project so that it is very energy-efficient,” Goad said. “It’s not going to be green when you are paying for the fuel and all of those ships between Africa and Italy and then to New York.”

Goad said he was not aware of any other U.S. companies that bid on the project.

In a speech before the U.S. House Friday evening, Foxx said that the National September 11 Memorial in New York City should reconsider the bid of North Carolina Granite Corp.

“Mr. Speaker, it came to my attention this week that North Carolina Granite Corporation, a small business in Mount Airy, North Carolina, was recently informed that it lost a bid to supply cut granite for the National September 11 Memorial in New York City.

“Unfortunately, news outlets reported that this business, which employs 135 people in the Fifth Congressional District, lost the contract to bidders in Italy and Africa.

“Mr. Speaker, this is very disturbing. I hope that the decision-makers at the memorial will reconsider their decision to ship this important work overseas.

“The people of North Carolina Granite are highly talented workers with experience on projects such as the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., who are eager to help complete the National September 11 Memorial. In the midst of an economic downturn, it makes more sense than ever to use American craftsmen to help build a memorial in honor of those who sacrificed so much on that day eight years ago.”

Contact Mondee Tilley at mtilley@mtairynews.com or at 719-1930.