Exchange Nickel Want Ads, a weekly classified-advertising publication here, has closed its Spokane Valley office, says Aaron Spurway, one of the partners in the business.

Spurway says the Valley operation, which occupied about 1,200 square feet of space at 20 N. Pines, has been consolidated into the company's main office, at 304 W. Third downtown. He says he and Patrick Powers own the publication through a business called Exchange Publishing.

The business leases about 3,300 square feet of space on Third Avenue.

"We thought it would be better to consolidate with the turndown in the economy," he says. "If business warranted it, we would return to the Valley."

The Exchange had five employees at its Valley office, although the number varied at times, he says. The Valley employees were retained despite the closure, he says, adding, "No one lost their job."

The business employs 15 people, and has 13 contract delivery carriers, Spurway says.

The partnership also publishes Horse Previews, a monthly magazine distributed to the horse industry, as well as Internet editions of both publications, Spurway says.