Losing out on a $5.5 million contract to supply granite for the 911 memorial in New York City is a disappointment, but an official of a local company says “it’s time to let it lie.”

“We’ve accepted it,” Carlos Goad, vice president of human resources for North Carolina Granite Corp. in Mount Airy, said Friday of a recent decision that left the company without the contract. Instead, the granite will be supplied from out of the country.

North Carolina Granite Corp. first had an indication this would be the case in late 2009, but got no official word until the company president received a telephone call toward the end of February, Goad said.

Just days before, U.S. Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina had mailed a strongly worded letter to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg asking for reconsideration of the apparent decision to bypass the domestic supplier in favor of a foreign source. But Burr’s letter, which mirrored the outrage of many other officials and citizens, did not bring a reversal.

And while the local company could have used the job, Goad said Friday that it is trying to take a long view of the situation.

He indicated that North Carolina Granite, a longtime supplier of granite used for street curbing and other structures in large cities around the nation, doesn’t want to risk other contracts through any further actions protesting the decision.

“Well, we discussed it among ourselves here — we think it’s time to let it lie,” the company official said, explaining that the firm wishes to avoid possibly alienating people it might do business with in the future.

Goad added that North Carolina Granite Corp. appreciates the many letters and other contacts mounted by citizens on its behalf relating to the contracting action. “But it’s time to move on,” he said.

Among those officially protesting the decision was the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners. And in addition to Sen. Burr, Rep. Virginia Foxx of the local congressional district and North Carolina’s other U.S. senator, Kay Hagan, tried to intervene on the Surry County firm’s behalf.

Their concerns reflected a desire to safeguard jobs in a tough economy, and disgust over the idea of a memorial for a key event in American history being built with foreign materials.

In mid-December there were reports that North Carolina Granite Corp. might lay off 40 employees if the contract ultimately was lost, but such a cut has not happened, Goad said Friday. “Not as of yet.”

But Goad said in February that workers who were let go earlier probably would be recalled if the company won the job.

The Mount Airy firm, which was vying for a subcontractor role in the memorial project to mark the Sept. 11, 2001, tragedy, was outbid by an Italian company for the stone-fabrication portion of the job. And while that outcome seemed apparent more than two months ago, conflicting reports emerged about whether the decision was final.

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