He began his career in 1983 working for United Color Press, former printer of Supply House Times. Charlie Horton, founder of Supply House Times, hired Franz in January 1989. In 1999 he was promoted to national sales manager.

"I feel so fortunate to have been given this opportunity," Franz said. "Like Charlie Horton, I have a great deal of passion and respect for this industry. I've lived by his motto that 'Supply House Times is not in the publishing business, we are in the plumbing business.' I look forward to preserving Supply House Times' tradition by delivering the best written magazine to our readers and the best read magazine to our advertisers."

"Scott has been with the magazine since the Horton publishing days," said George Zebrowski, publisher of Plumbing & Mechanical and group publisher of PM Engineer and Supply House Times. "He is known and respected within the industry and brings a lot of enthusiasm to his new position."

Franz, 42, his wife, Sandi, and their three children -- daughter Ashley, 14, son Taylor, 11, & son Clarke, 8 -- currently reside in Springboro, Ohio.

In related news, Scott Reimer, publisher of PM Engineer, has been named associate publisher on Supply House Times. Reimer has been with Plumbing & Mechanical and PM Engineer for six years and with Supply House Times since it was acquired. He will continue to be based in the Bensenville, Ill., office where he handles sales for all three magazines in the Central and Mid-Atlantic states and Eastern Canada.