In 2017, TMB Publishing, a company that has been producing B2B magazines for nearly 30 years, sought to update its brand. The goal was to ensure that its digital offerings were showcased at the same level of its print products - Plumbing Engineer, The Wholesaler, PHC News and Especificar magazines - that made the company leaders in publishing for the plumbing trade.

The first step was a new website: www.phcppros.com. In July 2017, the website was launched as a vibrant ecosystem that connects the plumbing, heating, cooling and piping industry, including engineers, contractors and distributors.

“PHCPpros.com delivers sought-after information our readers need to design, manage, sell, and compete. Since launching the site, on average there are 200+ pieces of content posted each month to keep the industry up-to-date with news, how-to articles, case studies, product information, and more,” said Brad Burnside, principal, publisher, and vice president, sales, PHCPPros.

Tom Brown founded TMB Publishing and currently serves as the chairman of the board for PHCPPros. Tom Brown was introduced to publishing through sales. He started his career in the 1970s with an architecture catalog before moving into an engineering publishing company.

In 1990, the company Tom Brown was with decided to let go of what it thought was a losing title: Plumbing Engineer. Tom Brown jumped at the opportunity to pursue his dream of business ownership and bought the magazine. Plumbing Engineer targets plumbing engineers, designers and specifiers, and was the first publication under his newly formed company, TMB Publishing.

The ball continued rolling. In 1993, TMB Publishing acquired The Wholesaler, an established trade publication created in the 1940s for plumbing wholesalers and distributors. In 2003, the company started its first magazine from the ground up, PHC News, rounding out the company’s offerings by catering to plumbing contractors and installers. In 2016, Especificar was launched in Mexico to meet demand for a Spanish-language B2B trade publication dedicated to plumbing, energy and sustainability.

With the success of phcppros.com, the company decided to rebrand in 2018, maintaining TMB Publishing as the name of the parent company and changing the brand name to PHCPPros to encompass its four publications. The brand is now active on social media including Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube. Each social platform offers something unique from influencers on Instagram and blog spotlights on Facebook, to breaking news on Twitter and HR announcements on LinkedIn, in addition to product demonstrations on YouTube. Additionally, social media presents new advertising opportunities for clients through philanthropic, human interest, and other types of paid posts and campaigns.

The third part of the PHCPPros rebrand is e-newsletters. Segmented by traditional and trending industry audiences, the e-newsletters include Plumbing, Hydronics, Kitchen & Bath, Plumbing, PVF, and Women In PHCP. In addition to banner, box and other advertising spaces similar to phcppros.com, advertisers also have unique opportunities to partner with PHCPPros on custom e-blasts and curated e-newsletters.

The Women In PHCP e-newsletter has significant traction and presents crossover opportunities in print as well as on social media. As the PHCPPros continues to affirm its new brand, there are plans for a focus on millennials, videos series and more.

If you are interested in learning more about this print-turned-multimedia company and how it has weathered decades, schedule an interview by emailing ashlei@phcppros.com.

Meet The Pros!

• Tom Brown, chairman of the board
• Cate Brown, principal, vice president of operations
• Brad Burnside, principal, publisher, vice president of sales
• Dave Schulte, principal, publisher, vice president of sales
• Ashlei Williams, chief marketing officer, editor, Plumbing Engineer
• Steve Smith, director, content development, editor, PHC News
• Ruth Mitchell, editor, The Wholesaler
• Chris Garcia, editor, Especificar
• Diane Spangler, manager, sales
• Art Mazzone, manager, sales
• Mark Bruno, digital manager
• Kelly Faloon, managing editor
• Nicole Meyer, digital media associate
• Sadie Smith, administrative support