Charles Hill Morris Jr., regional manager of The Times in Gainesville, announced Wednesday the purchase of HOME: Living in North Georgia magazine from Advantage Publishing and Scott Costello.

“We are excited to announce a partnership with Morris Multimedia, one of America’s largest privately held publishing companies,” said Costello. “Led by the team at The Times, Morris Multimedia has become the new owner/publisher of HOME: Living in North Georgia. We look forward to a long relationship with the team in Georgia as we continue along our mission to promote the individuals, businesses and nonprofits that make us proud to call our communities HOME.”

HOME: Living in North Georgia magazine began publishing in the spring of this year and immediately captivated readers with its compelling articles and outstanding design. The magazine will continue to be distributed in Hall and Jackson counties six times a year.

“The quality and design of the publication immediately caught our attention and we thought it would make a perfect complement to our publishing efforts in those communities,” said Morris.

The Times and The Paper, based in Jackson County, will both manage the publication.

Dennis Stockton, group publisher of The Times and The Paper, will serve in the same capacity for the magazine. Roxane Rose, former owner/publisher of Living Jackson magazine, will be the general manager of HOME.

“With its first two North Georgia editions, HOME created a lot of buzz and filled a niche that was unfulfilled. We are really excited to assume ownership of this top-quality magazine and think it will be a great addition to our family of publications,” Stockton said. “It is truly a unique magazine serving a very specific readership and advertising base. This is a great opportunity to expand in our core market with a new and different product.”

“I’m proud to have someone of Roxane Rose’s knowledge of the area and the magazine business to head this new endeavor,” Stockton said.

Costello founded Advantage Publishing in Gainesville, Fla., nine years ago and founded the HOME Magazine brand in 2007. Today, Advantage is the leading publisher of high-quality magazine content in the north central Florida market and is the owner and founder of numerous local events including Taste of Gainesville (Fla.).

The Times was founded in 1947 and is published daily both in print and online. The media company serves Hall County and the residents of the North Georgia mountains. Morris Multimedia of Savannah, founded in 1970, purchased The Times in 2004.