IN the same year that it celebrates its 25th anniversary, a Silsden firm has received a Queen's award for enterprise.

Brett Harris Ltd, the pioneer of the lightweight, compact sleeping bag, is one of 131 UK recipients of the awards, which are announced on the Queen's birthday.

The company employs 55 people, and was one of the smallest to receive the prestigious accolade.

Another award went to Euro Direct Database Marketing, a subsidiary of Skipton Building Society.

Brett Harris, and his wife, Bryony, started their business 25 years ago in Ilkley, when the former oil-rig diver decided to transform his life under the sea.

With £1 in the bank, Mr Harris taught himself to sew and design clothing. Together, the couple worked in their garage to create products, inspired by those used by Americans on the oil rigs.

"Back then you could only get the body warmers, etc from America and I decided to come home and learn how to sew and set about making them myself. We started off doing kits, and it developed from there," said Mr Harris.

Working with a southern company, the couple moved into sleeping bags, and discovered a gap in the market - the need for compact, lightweight but still high quality bags.

Using a Swiss fibre they were able to produce a bag which had the qualities of down, but rolled up to fit in one hand, and weighed less than a kilogram.

The "Snugpak" took off, and soon cheaper imitations appeared due to the higher production costs in Britain.

But Mr and Mrs Harris have remained ahead of the game, constantly coming up with new designs and ideas. Their products now include a range of clothing.

The couple were able expand their overseas market dramatically when they moved into factory premises in Howden Road, Silsden.

They now sell about 50 per cent of their products to Japan and the USA. Japan in particular is a huge growing market where their jackets are fashionable as street-wear and feature in teen magazines.

Another market is the armed forces, where comfort-conscious soldiers often supplement standard issue items with the Snugpak products, which are sold at the barracks.

"We cover the whole range of users, from fairly professional to fashionwear. You could get part-way up Everest with our products - but not perhaps to the top!" Mr Harris said.

His wife attributed their success to having a good company and a good product. She said one of the advantages of having a small company was that it was flexible and could accommodate new ideas easily.

The couple say the company is proud to be British, and be part of the export industry. Although some things are shipped in from the Far East, the bulk of their products are made in Silsden, where the company intends to stay.

The Queen's award will mean a boost in the status of the company, and can be used in marketing their products. For Mr and Mrs Harris it also marks their achievement in the industry.

"We were one of the smallest companies which won. It is a fantastic award and we are over the moon. It is superb for the morale of the staff," said Mrs Harris.

In June the company celebrates its 25th anniversary with the launch of a special silver sleeping bag and a party for the staff.

Skipton Building Society subsidiary Euro Direct Database Marketing gained an award for innovation after developing software to allow businesses to visualise their market and target activity.