A project manager has reflected on his 46-year career at a Basingstoke company.

Tony Hunt, who has worked at Multitone since November 1978, has played a "pivotal role" in shaping the company's manufacturing processes and product development.

He started at the company as an assembly operator, building transmitters for the London Fire Brigade.

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He even met his wife Helen at Multitone in 1980 (Image: Multitone) Mr Hunt said: "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."

Mr Hunt, who is now the company's engineering and NPI project manager, said the family-like atmosphere at Multitone convinced him he had made the right decision, and this supportive environment continued to shape his career and personal life.

He even met his wife Helen at Multitone in 1980.

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Mr Hunt said: "When we were married two years later, 50 per cent 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."

Mr Hunt's skills and Multitone's mission ensured a steady progression, and he was promoted to production supervisor in 1982.

He said: "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.

"Looking back, helping Multitone to shift towards this more proactive approach in manufacturing is a source of great pride for me."

Throughout his career, Mr Hunt has been at the forefront of advancing new technologies, and in 1985, Multitone introduced surface mount processes to its manufacturing process.

He also led a team in 2017 to introduce the new i-Message Lite family of products, which today is a major seller for Multitone.

Mr Hunt said: "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."