A lifetime of service: Tony Hunt's journey at Multitone

Multitone Electronics’ Engineering & NPI (New Product Introduction) Project Manager looks back at his career which started in 1978, and gives his thoughts for the future of the industry.??

During Tony Hunt's 46-year career at Multitone, he has played a pivotal role in shaping the company's manufacturing processes and product development. In this article, Tony reflects on his career to date, the reasons behind his loyalty to Multitone and his key achievements, together with observations on how critical communications technologies will continue to evolve.

Early years: from postman to the assembly line

Leaving college with a City & Guilds qualification in Radio Transmission, it was no surprise that Tony would go on to work in the data communications field. However, Tony’s first job was actually as a postman, although it did not take long for him to decide that delivering letters and parcels was not for him. Spotting a Multitone job ad in the local paper at his home in Norfolk, Tony applied and after his successful interview, started work as an assembly operator in November 1978. This first job was building transmitters for the London Fire Brigade – and almost five decades later the fire service remains a Multitone customer.

The family-like atmosphere at Multitone in those early days was a key factor in convincing Tony that he had made the right decision, and this supportive environment would continue to shape his career and personal life for many years to come.

“I vividly recall my first day arriving at the Multitone factory, which was in a village called Marham, an old RAF base. It was very daunting for an 18 year-old, especially as I was extremely shy and quiet. When I walked in though, I thought, ‘Wow, this is such a well-organised place’. As my time there went on, it was clear that the communications at all levels, top down and also bottom up, were absolutely first class.”

That sense of belonging continues to this day in Tony’s view, and it is fair to say that the Multitone connections do not end there, as he explained:

“I actually met my wife Helen at Multitone in 1980. When we were married two years later, 50% of the guests were from Multitone. My mother-in-law and also one of my daughters have worked at Multitone, so I have always had to be on my best behaviour!” Tony added jokingly.

Career progression at Multitone

The close fit of Tony’s skills and Multitone’s mission ensured a steady progression. After two years as an assembly operator, Tony spent a further two years as a Test Technician, before becoming a Repair Supervisor; and then receiving a further promotion to Production Supervisor in 1982. This latter role gave Tony responsibility for the supervision of 20 Production Operators and two Test Technicians, working on an area-wide pager manufacturing line. Tony had certainly discovered his calling:

“This new job gave me the chance to tackle repetitive faults, talking to engineers to see how we could solve the issues. It was also a great opportunity to see if we could make a product better – not just fix it when it went wrong. At that time, it was an interesting baptism of fire, because many of my colleagues weren’t thinking like that. Looking back, helping Multitone to shift towards this more proactive approach in manufacturing is a source of great pride for me.”

Driving innovation in product development

Throughout Tony’s career at Multitone, he has been at the forefront of advancing new technologies. One of his proudest achievements occurred in 1985 when Multitone introduced surface mount processes to its manufacturing process, directly mounting electrical components onto the surface of a printed circuit board (PCB) at its new factory in King’s Lynn.

Tony cites two other key personal milestones: In 1987 he led an engineering team whose work contributed to Multitone achieving BS5750 Part 2 certification and then in 2009 he took charge of managing and controlling Multitone's Change Note System. This latter project represents a significant landmark for Tony:

“Manufacturing companies must control changes in their operations, such as when they propose a deviation from the initial product design using a Change Note System. Prior to 2009, at the company we relied on paper to make any changes. However, when Ed [Paterson – now Multitone’s CEO] joined us that year, he came up with an absolutely cracking email-driven Change Note System for Multitone – it was the first project we worked on together. When I took over at the time, there were around 150 change notes in arrears. Since 2010 it has always been under ten, there or thereabouts. It was a real revolution, and our Change Note System is a key factor behind the reliability of Multitone’s solutions.”

In recent years the innovations have continued to flow.

In 2017, Tony led a team to introduce the new i-Message Lite family of products which today is a major seller for Multitone, aimed at smaller outlets including veterinary surgeons and doctors’ surgeries.

The shift from hardware to software: an evolution in critical comms

A notable feature in Multitone’s evolution over the last few years is the shift in focus from hardware to software in terms of product development.

Back in the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s, Multitone played a pivotal role in revolutionising critical communications in UK healthcare by pioneering the development and widespread adoption of pagers. Even today, hospitals use the company’s modern pagers because of their reliability - particularly during IT outages.

Today, technology is progressing faster than ever, with new pager solutions in development that contain advanced features like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and messaging capabilities. Multitone now offers apps for mobile phones as an alternative to traditional pagers.

Tony feels that for many hospitals, a mixture of pager and app technology works well:

“At the local hospital where my daughter works, they use both Multitone’s pagers as well as our apps. So technology has changed and we’re adapting to it. If you go down to the Basingstoke office you'll see that the software team is now bigger than the hardware team.”

Multitone's approach, which emphasises delivering reliable and secure communication technologies using both hardware and software, is evident in this adaptation. Future potential areas of focus include disaster apps and mass alert systems.

Tony’s advice for future employees

After such a lengthy period of time working at Multitone it’s not surprising that Tony is keen to share some advice to anyone considering a career with the company, stressing the importance of encouraging open communication with management.

“Young people nowadays are growing up with different skill sets from those of my generation, much of it as a result of the internet's constant presence in their lives.

“Being honest in the workplace will, I think, always be hugely important. For instance, if the CEO rang me up and said, “What's going on, Tony?” I would give him a straight answer – and maybe make suggestions as to how we can make improvements. Always be honest and add your ideas is my advice.”

Reflections on career and future

Although Tony is now in the latter part of his career, he has not stopped learning. Recently he has taken an Open University course to study autism; to understand it, and how others experience it. As a grandfather, Tony has personal experience of the condition within the family.

At the conclusion of the interview, Tony considers why he has stayed loyal to Multitone:

“I do enjoy what I do, and that's an important thing. Of course, I've had job offers in my time, but I've enjoyed everything about my work here and Multitone is a really good company to work for.? Long-serving employees are the backbone of many organisations. Their dedication, experience, and loyalty are invaluable assets. By recognising and rewarding their contributions, companies can foster a positive work culture, improve employee satisfaction, and attract and retain top talent.”