SME News Managing Director of the Year 2025 / 8 Electronics Manufacturing MD of the Year 2025 (Northern England): Tony Hunt In an industry defined by rapid innovation and precision, UK electronics manufacturers are under pressure to deliver smarter, faster, and more adaptable solutions. DJ Assembly (DJ) has risen to that challenge, offering end-to-end PCB assembly and box build services from its state-of-the-art facility in York. At the helm is Managing Director Tony Hunt, whose commitment to quality, flexibility, and long-term partnerships has helped shape the company into one of the region’s most trusted manufacturing partners. We spoke with Tony to find out more, in the wake of his recent success in the Managing Director of the Year Awards 2025. DJ is a leading electronic manufacturing service provider, renowned for offering a range of industry-leading quality, dependable printed circuit board and manufacturing services. Leveraging more than two decades of experience, the company combines traditional craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology to support sectors including medical, aerospace, industrial, automation, and consumer electronics. Its core services include surface mount and through-hole PCB assembly, cable and loom production, full assembly service, and electromechanical integration. DJ also offers prototyping, medium-volume manufacturing, bespoke testing solutions, and offshore sourcing for large-scale production. Collaboration, innovation, and integrity are core values that underpin DJ’s philosophy and shape the company’s psyche, driving every decision, partnership, and product. It strives to serve customers who share these values, or at least the belief that they are values worth holding close. These clients are companies of all shapes and sizes, from startup to corporate. Regardless of their size or sector, however, DJ’s clients share one defining element: they each place the same strong emphasis on working with people and not processes that aligns seamlessly with the DJ ethos. Founded in 2001, DJ quickly established itself as a trusted provider of PCB assembly and electronics manufacturing services. The company became part of the Cyclops Group in 2010, benefitting from investment and operational support that helped expand its capabilities and client base. In 2018, a management buyout led by Sales Director Tony Hunt and Operations Manager Steven Walter marked a new chapter for the business, setting it on an independent path with a renewed focus on flexibility and customer service. Following the buyout, Tony Hunt took on the role of Managing Director, steering the company into its next phase of growth. Tony Hunt’s career path has been anything but conventional. After training as an archaeologist, he transitioned into sales and eventually became General Manager at a printing company. That experience laid the foundation for his next venture: co-founding the Complete Office Group, a commercial stationary business that grew to a turnover exceeding £90 million. Following his exit from the company in 2017, Tony took on a new challenge – spearheading the buyout of DJ and applying his entrepreneurial drive to reshape its strategic focus and operational agility. “My background is in sales, sales management, commercial development, and people development,” he told us. “I believe all challenges are opportunities – although that may sound like a cliché, it’s true. As a Managing Director, the role is to handle issues quickly and fairly, with minimal disruption, and to look for the opportunity hidden within the problem – if you can!” As Managing Director, Tony opts for a leadership style grounded in structure and definition. He recognises that in order to achieve optimal operations, each member of the team must understand their role and how it fits into the bigger picture. In this regard, he considers his role to be providing the management team room to develop while also defining lines of control and authority. This is a precarious balance, with each member of the team needing their own unique ways of receiving guidance, but Tony maintains that cooperation and understanding must remain the overriding philosophy. At DJ, that philosophy is reflected in a culture that is direct, determined, and unified by a shared objective. Diversity is not only embraced in principle but also in practice, with alternative perspectives seen as vital to progress. There’s a clear understanding that people are motivated in different ways, with some thriving in lively collaborative space and others preferring quieter, more introspective environments. The company aims to support each individual by shaping roles and settings that allow them to perform at their best. Communication plays a central role in making this work. Tony breaks down effective communication into its simplest form: mutual respect between colleagues and clients alike. To ensure seamless cooperation, he advises that one respects what the other person is offering, talks through disagreements or potential differences, and agrees on a clear path forward. Clarity is key for Tony, as he told us: “The management team know what the plan is, and they know their place in the ship.” This approach fosters alignment, accountability, and a shared sense of purpose across the organisation. This commitment to direct communication is extended to DJ’s client relationships, which are grounded in long-standing trust and transparency. “We’re a customer centric business, and because of AIM-Aug25124
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