THREE firms from North and East Yorkshire were today celebrating the biggest honour in business.

The Queen's Award For Enterprise will be conferred on Eco Arc, the international award-winning ecological architectural practice in Harton, near near Barton le Willows; Phosyn Plc, the manufacturer of plant nutrients at Pocklington Industrial Estate; and E Wood Ltd, of Northallerton, which has developed a polyurethane lining for the rehabilitation of drinking water pipelines.

They will be among 13 organisations in Yorkshire and Humberside whose representatives will toast the Queen's 80th birthday with special gusto at a formal awards announcement by Princess Anne in Whitehall on Monday.

All will be entitled to fly the coveted Queen's Award flag and display on their letter headings, in advertising and even on their goods the emblem which has the respect of the business community throughout the world.

Architect Andrew Yeats, founder of Eco Arc design consultancy, said: "This award will raise the profile of green architecture for the whole nation."

Mr Yeats, with co-founder Lucy Nelson and Eric Parks, earned the award for "continuous achievement in CO2-neutral sustainable building design and development".

Their portfolio over the past 16 years has featured a host of new builds, conversions, housing, leisure and health buildings which turn them into energy-efficient units producing their own water and power.

Typical was York's Environmental Education Centre at St Nicholas Fields off Tang Hall, which opened in 2000.

The super-low energy efficient building on what was once landfill includes a green roof, wind turbines and photo-volteic panels which provide energy for lighting and computers, solar hot water panels, dry compost toilets and rainwater recycling systems.

On the drawing board now is a similar £2 million scheme to build the Royal Horticultural Society's new learning centre and library at Harlow Carr Gardens in Harrogate. Another feature of this will be a "green" roof made of sedum plants which produce oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide.

Mr Yeats said: "Our Queen's Award will give kudos and respectability. Where some people regarded us as being slightly alternative, now we are recognised as being in the mainstream of architecture."

This is the third Queen's Award for international trade won by Phosyn Plc since it was established in 1967, manufacturing plant nutrient products and providing analytical services to agriculture. It was similarly honoured in 1982 and 1991.

Two years ago, 91 per cent of Phosyn's output was exported to 55 countries worldwide and now it is part of a global alliance to ensure technical standards are applied to all facets of crop and plant nutrition, its know-how helping third world countries improve yields and the quality of their own food production worldwide.

A "delighted" chairman Dr Geoff Adams said Phosyn, whose £29 million turnover was also mostly in exports, first started exporting into Europe and North Africa, then in order to counter seasonality, developed business in Australasia, Southern Africa and South America.

He said: "Today, Phosyn is a truly global enterprise, exporting to around 60 countries, which enables our production facilities to remain active all year round."

The award comes at an interesting time for Phosyn which is soon to be taken over by Norwegian Yara International ASA, the £4.1 billion turnover producer of ammonia, nitrates and fertilizer.

E Wood Limited, based at Northallerton's Standard Way industrial estate, which also earned its award for sustainable development, developed its plastic lining to prevent corrosion in iron water pipelines.

Sprayed lining systems have been used for years, but require water pipes to be out of service for 24 hours.

The polyurethane lining reduces shut down time to less than eight hours and often removes the need to deploy temporary pipes.

Updated: 10:01 Friday, April 21, 2006