The Unknown Gomer
12-16-2009, 01:51 AM
I normally don't feel strongly enough about anything to actually start a new thread in this forum, but when I heard about this this morning, I got really hacked off about it. :mad:
What the article didn't say was who actually made the decision, with the US economy the way it is, to give two foreign companies this job. And THIS job in particular! If there is ANY job that a US company should have been given hiring priority for, it's THIS one, IMHO.
Grrr... whoever made that decision should be sacked. Or have HIS job given to someone in Italy.
http://www.myfox8.com/wghp-911-memorial-granite-091210,0,251549.story
WGHP
Contract for 9/11 Memorial Granite Awarded to Italian Co.
North Carolina Granite Corporation, based in Mount Airy, doesn't win bid
By Chad Tucker
FOX8 News
December 10, 2009
MOUNT AIRY, N.C.
A Mount Airy granite company that had bid to cut granite for the National September 11th Memorial in New York recently learned the work will be shipped overseas.
The North Carolina Granite Corporation in Mount Airy had put in a bid to cut granite brought in from Canada at its Mount Airy location, but company officials learned the contract had been awarded to an Italian company that will cut African granite for the memorial.
The North Carolina Granite Corporation has worked on other memorials, including the Kitty Hawk Memorial and the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. Landing the National September 11th Memorial contract would have brought jobs to North Carolina.
"If we were quoting against other American companies, may the best man win. But to see that this product is shipped offshore providing jobs to Africa and Italy just does not seem right." said Carlos Goad, vice president of North Carolina Granite Corporation.
Goad said they got the word from Port Morris Tile, the stone setter for the memorial project based in New York.
"We were told in writing by Port Morris, the stone setter, that they had been instructed to purchase the granite from the African company and have it fabricated in Italy," he said.
The National September 11th Memorial told FOX8 that no official bid decisions will be announced until mid-January, but FOX8 has obtained documents showing Port Morris Tile has already put in the overseas order.
Without the contract, some of the 135 people who work at the North Carolina Granite Corporation could lose jobs.
"We stand a chance of being laid off." said stone-cutter Burnard Allen, who is with the Carpenters Union.
"I have a family, all these guys have families and for you to take a job from us here in the U.S. and send it somewhere else, I have to say something ain't right." Allen said.
The Carpenters Union represents over 100 stone cutters in Mount Airy. The Union and workers in Mount Airy helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to help families of September 11th victims.
"We were really looking forward to being a part of honoring those people who died and those who put their life at risk. But now it appears that we're not going to have the opportunity to use our hands and our tools to honor those people who lost their lives in that tragedy." Goad said.
Senator Richard Burr is aware of North Carolina Granite's concerns and is looking into it, but his staff says they cannot comment at this time.
What the article didn't say was who actually made the decision, with the US economy the way it is, to give two foreign companies this job. And THIS job in particular! If there is ANY job that a US company should have been given hiring priority for, it's THIS one, IMHO.
Grrr... whoever made that decision should be sacked. Or have HIS job given to someone in Italy.
http://www.myfox8.com/wghp-911-memorial-granite-091210,0,251549.story
WGHP
Contract for 9/11 Memorial Granite Awarded to Italian Co.
North Carolina Granite Corporation, based in Mount Airy, doesn't win bid
By Chad Tucker
FOX8 News
December 10, 2009
MOUNT AIRY, N.C.
A Mount Airy granite company that had bid to cut granite for the National September 11th Memorial in New York recently learned the work will be shipped overseas.
The North Carolina Granite Corporation in Mount Airy had put in a bid to cut granite brought in from Canada at its Mount Airy location, but company officials learned the contract had been awarded to an Italian company that will cut African granite for the memorial.
The North Carolina Granite Corporation has worked on other memorials, including the Kitty Hawk Memorial and the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. Landing the National September 11th Memorial contract would have brought jobs to North Carolina.
"If we were quoting against other American companies, may the best man win. But to see that this product is shipped offshore providing jobs to Africa and Italy just does not seem right." said Carlos Goad, vice president of North Carolina Granite Corporation.
Goad said they got the word from Port Morris Tile, the stone setter for the memorial project based in New York.
"We were told in writing by Port Morris, the stone setter, that they had been instructed to purchase the granite from the African company and have it fabricated in Italy," he said.
The National September 11th Memorial told FOX8 that no official bid decisions will be announced until mid-January, but FOX8 has obtained documents showing Port Morris Tile has already put in the overseas order.
Without the contract, some of the 135 people who work at the North Carolina Granite Corporation could lose jobs.
"We stand a chance of being laid off." said stone-cutter Burnard Allen, who is with the Carpenters Union.
"I have a family, all these guys have families and for you to take a job from us here in the U.S. and send it somewhere else, I have to say something ain't right." Allen said.
The Carpenters Union represents over 100 stone cutters in Mount Airy. The Union and workers in Mount Airy helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to help families of September 11th victims.
"We were really looking forward to being a part of honoring those people who died and those who put their life at risk. But now it appears that we're not going to have the opportunity to use our hands and our tools to honor those people who lost their lives in that tragedy." Goad said.
Senator Richard Burr is aware of North Carolina Granite's concerns and is looking into it, but his staff says they cannot comment at this time.