Swift Communications in early January acquired the Big Nickel free classified shopper from the ownership group of the Sparks Tribune.
Swift Communications Chief Financial Officer Bill Waters led the acquisition, which began to take shape in late 2013.
“We have a longtime friendly rapport with the former owners of the Big Nickel and have talked from time to time over the years about various possibilities,” Waters said. “We’ve always admired the success of the Big Nickel and the specific niche audience that it serves. We revived those conversations several months ago and it became apparent that the time was right for both companies to move forward with a deal.”
Waters said Swift Communications has no plans to acquire the Sparks Tribune, which has been in publication since 1910.
The Big Nickel is a natural tie-in to existing publications within Swift’s Sierra Nevada Media Group, Waters notes. Those publications include Northern Nevada Business Weekly, Nevada Appeal, The Record-Courier and Lahontan Valley News.
The Big Nickel is available at the following Churchill County locations: Fallon RV Park, Skip’s Mini Market, Frontier Liquor, Lahontan Valley News, Depot’s Quick Stop Market, CVS, Cock ‘N Bull, Fox Peak Station, Grand Slam Market and Jackson Gas Station.
Prior to The Record-Courier’s purchase by Swift in 1988, it was owned by Don Woodward, who also owned the Sparks newspaper from 1968 until 1976.
“The Big Nickel is a very good adjacency to the publications and products of the Sierra Nevada Media Group in Northern Nevada,” he said. “It extends the audience reach for classified customers in a very effective and efficient way. And, similarly, the Sierra Nevada Media group publications extend the reach for Big Nickel customers.”
Two Big Nickel employees were hired by Swift Communications and will work from the offices of Northern Nevada Business Weekly at 5355 Kietzke Lane, Ste. 100. They will report to Alsy Brinkmeyer, manager of the Big Nickel and Sierra Nevada Media Group classified advertising.
The Big Nickel last week began its print run at Swift’s Carson City headquarters on Mallory Way.