Central Garden & Pet

What Central Garden & Pet does

Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ: CENT) is a publicly traded branded consumer goods company founded in 1980 and headquartered in Walnut Creek, California. It operates two reportable segments: Pet Products (dog and cat chews, treats, toys, dental solutions, training pads, carriers, grooming supplies; bird, small animal, fish, reptile, equine and livestock products; animal and household health and insect control) and Garden Products (proprietary and third-party grass seed, wild bird feed and feeders, herbicides, insecticides, pesticides, fertilizers, live plants, and packet seed). The portfolio includes more than 60 brands — among them Nylabone, Farnam, Pennington, Kaytee, Aqueon, Cadet, Four Paws, Comfort Zone, Amdro, Sevin, Ferry-Morse, Best Bully Sticks, Barkworthies, and Zoëcon — plus the DoMyOwn.com DIY pest-control e-commerce subsidiary.

The company earns revenue through wholesale distribution of its proprietary brands and third-party partner brands to a long-tail trade and retail channel mix: mass (Walmart), specialty (Petco), e-commerce (Amazon, Chewy, DoMyOwn.com), over 10,000 independent pet retailers, over 5,600 veterinary clinics, approximately 4,400 garden customers, feed and farm stores, and a UK pet distribution facility. As of April 2026 Central holds a 20% equity stake in the Phillips Pet Food & Supplies joint venture (Axar Capital–led investors hold 80%), which operates the largest independent US pet distribution platform with 11 distribution centers following the deconsolidation of Central's own distribution arm. Pricing is set at retail; there is no SaaS, subscription, or recurring-license model. The Cost & Simplicity program is the company's primary operating-leverage engine, executed through footprint rationalization, SKU rationalization, and distribution-center consolidation, anchored by a new direct-to-consumer-enabled fulfillment hub opened in Salt Lake City in November 2025.

In fiscal 2025 Central reported $3.1 billion in net sales. Q2 fiscal 2026 net sales reached a record $906.2 million, up 8.7% year-over-year, with record diluted EPS of $1.28 (up 30.6%) and FY2026 adjusted EPS guidance of at least $2.70. The company is led by CEO Niko Lahanas (appointed September 2024, having previously served as CFO and as a 19-year Central veteran) and CFO Brad Smith, with a 10-member board including 7 independent directors and recent additions of Apur Patel as Chief Legal Officer (January 2026) and Kay Schwichtenberg as Director (March 2026).

Name

Central Garden & Pet

Legal name

Central Garden & Pet Company

Website

https://central.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ: CENT) is a publicly traded branded consumer goods company that manufactures and distributes 60+ pet and garden brands through mass, specialty, e-commerce, and independent trade channels across North America and the UK.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pet & Garden Consumer Products

NAICS

Pet and Pet Supplies Retailers (45991), Dog and Cat Food Manufacturing (311111), Other Animal Food Manufacturing (311119), Building Material and Garden Equipment and Supplies Dealers (444)

SIC

Retail-Building Materials, Hardware, Garden Supply (5200), Games, Toys & Children's Vehicles (No Dolls & Bicycles) (3944)

akta.pro primary industry

General Pet Supplies Retail (Multi-category) (CRALAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pet Health & Wellness Retail (Supplements, OTC, Flea/Tick) (CRALAHAC), Pet Food & Treats Retail (CRALAHAB), Small Animal Supplies Retail (Rabbits, Guinea Pigs, Hamsters) (CRALAHAL), Small Animal Food (rabbit/guinea pig/hamster) (CRADAFAJ), Pet Food & Treats Distribution (CRAOAKAA)

Keywords

• Pet supplies
• Garden products
• Pet food distribution
• Lawn care products
• Animal health products

Headquarters

HQ city

Walnut Creek

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Pet Products: Pet supplies include dog chews and treats, dog chew and play toys, dental chews and solutions, training pads, carriers, grooming supplies, and accessories for dogs and cats; products for birds, small animals, and specialty pets; animal and household health and insect control products; live fish and products for fish, reptiles and other aquarium-based pets; and products for horses and livestock.
2. Garden Products: Lawn and garden supplies include proprietary and non-proprietary grass seed; wild bird feed, bird feeders, bird houses, and other birding accessories; weed, grass, and other herbicides; insecticide and pesticide products; fertilizers; live plants; and packet seed.
3. Pet Distribution Joint Venture (Phillips Pet Food & Supplies): Central Garden & Pet retains a 20% ownership stake in a newly formed joint venture with Phillips Pet Food & Supplies, operating under the Phillips brand. The JV will reduce Central's reported revenue in the second half by a low-teens percentage but have minimal earnings impact.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels9 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Central Garden & Pet manufactures and distributes branded pet supplies and garden products through a portfolio of more than 60 consumer brands. The Pet segment supplies dog and cat chews, treats, toys, dental solutions, training pads, carriers, grooming supplies, bird and small animal food, aquarium products, and horse care items. The Garden segment provides proprietary and non-proprietary grass seed, wild bird feed, herbicides, insecticides, pesticides, fertilizers, live plants, and packet seeds. Products reach consumers through mass retail, pet specialty, e-commerce, independent specialty stores, veterinary clinics, and feed/farm channels via a domestic sales and distribution network.

Product overview

Central Garden & Pet is a diversified consumer goods company operating in the pet and garden industries with a portfolio of over 60 high-quality brands. The company offers pet supplies including dog chews and treats, chew toys, dental solutions, training pads, carriers, grooming supplies, bird and small animal food and habitats, aquarium products, and horse care products. The garden segment includes proprietary and non-proprietary grass seed, wild bird feed, bird feeders, herbicides, insecticides, pesticides, fertilizers, live plants, and packet seed. The company also operates a domestic sales and distribution network serving independent specialty retail stores, pet retailers, vet clinics, and garden customers. Key brands include Amdro, Aqueon, Farnam, Ferry-Morse, Kaytee, Nylabone, Pennington, and Sevin. The company recently formed a joint venture with Phillips Pet Food & Supplies for pet distribution operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Amdro: Pest control products
• Aqueon
• Best Bully Sticks
• Cadet
• C&S
• Comfort Zone
• Farnam
• Ferry-Morse
• Four Paws
• Kaytee
• Nylabone
• Pennington
• Sevin
• Zoёcon
• DoMyOwn.com
• Starbar
• Barkworthies

Quantifiable outcome

• Record Q2 fiscal 2026 net sales of $906.2 million, up 8.7% year over year, with record diluted EPS of $1.28.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• The CastellowsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 20 May 2026Farnam, a horse care brand owned by Central Garden & Pet, continued its partnership with country music trio The Castellows into its second year as part of its 80th anniversary celebrations and loyalty program initiatives.
• Phillips Pet Food & SuppliescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 April 2026Central Garden & Pet formed a strategic pet distribution joint venture with Phillips Pet Food & Supplies, combining Central's pet supplies distribution capabilities with Phillips' pet food distribution strength. Central received cash proceeds and retains a 20% ownership stake in the newly formed entity, while Phillips and its investors led by Axar Capital Management hold the remaining 80%. The combined operation operates under the Phillips brand with 11 distribution centers serving feed and farm stores, groomers, veterinarians, and independent pet retailers across the United States. The JV will reduce Central's reported revenue in the second half by a low-teens percentage but have minimal earnings impact (estimated $0.03-$0.05 dilutive to EPS).
• Richard KarnminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 2 April 2026DoMyOwn.com, a subsidiary of Central Garden & Pet, continued its partnership with television personality Richard Karn ('Home Improvement' star) as 'Chief Solutions Officer' for a second year. The partnership focuses on pest control content, with Karn creating educational videos to help homeowners tackle common pests including ants, mosquitoes, roaches, and termites.
• Jane Lynch and Christian CooperminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 November 2025Kaytee, a brand under Central Garden & Pet, partnered with television personalities Jane Lynch and Christian Cooper to launch The Birder Hub digital platform aimed at making birding accessible and enjoyable for a broad audience. The platform promotes birding's mental health benefits and inclusivity with educational content and resources.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Regional players

• Phibro Animal Health: Animal health and nutrition company with livestock and pet product portfolios; comparable in animal-health adjacencies (particularly equine/livestock) overlapping with Central's Farnam and Four Paws brands.

Emerging players

• Petco Health and Wellness: Key retail partner of Central that also sells private-label and exclusive branded pet products; emerging player in vertically integrated pet retail that competes indirectly with Central's brands on shelf space.
• Chewy: Leading online pet retailer that distributes Central's brands (Nylabone, Comfort Zone) while expanding into private-label and exclusive brands; emerging player that is both a customer and a potential competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Mars Petcare: Global pet care giant with brands like Pedigree, Royal Canin, Whiskas, and CESAR, plus veterinary and pet health businesses; broad incumbent competing for premium and mass-market pet food and treats share.
• Nestlé Purina PetCare: World's largest pet care company with extensive pet food and treats portfolio; broad incumbent competing across nearly every pet nutrition category where Central plays.
• The J.M. Smucker Company: Broad incumbent CPG with a large pet food and treats portfolio (Milk-Bone, Meow Mix, Kibbles 'n Bits, Rachael Ray Nutrish) competing for similar retail shelf space and consumer share of stomach.
• Church & Dwight: Diversified CPG with consumer health, personal care, and pet products (Arm & Hammer pet care lines); broad incumbent with overlapping distribution channels and household brand marketing expertise.

Others

• TopGolf Callaway Brands: Consumer products company that also pursues a branded-portfolio-plus-distribution strategy across lifestyle categories; thematically comparable as a multi-brand consumer roll-up model rather than direct overlap.

Direct peers

• Scotts Miracle-Gro: Direct peer in consumer lawn and garden — sells grass seed, fertilizers, herbicides, and pest control through mass retail and independent garden centers, overlapping with Central's Pennington, Amdro, and Sevin brands.
• Spectrum Brands Holdings: Closest direct peer — owns Global Pet Care and Home & Garden operating segments with overlapping categories including pet care, lawn/garden, and home pest control, similar branded portfolio strategy and broad retail distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/central-garden-and-pet
• Instagraminstagram.com/centralgardenandpet
• Facebookfacebook.com/workatcentral

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A36 records

Investments3 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Central Garden & Pet