WALNUT CREEK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ: CENT) (NASDAQ: CENTA) (“Central”), a leading consumer goods company in the pet and garden industries, today announced that it has acquired W. Atlee Burpee Company (“Burpee”), a national brand in the packet seed and young plant categories trusted by gardeners for 150 years. Burpee offers a comprehensive horticulture portfolio of seeds, plants and garden supplies. The transaction closed on September 30, 2026.
“Burpee is an iconic American brand with a remarkable 150-year legacy of innovation, quality and consumer trust,” said Niko Lahanas, Chief Executive Officer of Central Garden & Pet. “Its high brand awareness, deep consumer relationships and established digital capabilities make it a compelling addition to our Garden portfolio. Equally important, Burpee shares our values, entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to delivering exceptional products to consumers. We are pleased that Burpee’s experienced leadership team will continue to lead the business, preserving the culture and expertise that have made it successful. We see significant opportunities to build on Burpee’s strong foundation, leverage Central’s scale and capabilities, and drive long-term growth in an attractive and resilient garden market.”
Founded in 1876, Burpee is recognized as the premier brand in the category based on consumer awareness, satisfaction, and loyalty. Burpee's comprehensive portfolio, positioned around helping home gardeners succeed, is sold across a diversified set of channels including mass merchandise, grocery and club, eCommerce and catalog, home improvement, and farm and fleet retailers.
“Burpee is an unmatched, beloved brand in home gardening, and my goal in this transaction was to find it a home that would be a strong steward of that legacy,” said George Ball, former Owner and Executive Chair of Burpee. “Central Garden & Pet appreciates what makes Burpee special as a brand and a company and brings the resources to help accelerate our growth and create new opportunities for our employees. I’m confident Burpee will continue to flourish as a standalone business under its current leadership team, bringing new and innovative varieties to gardeners for years to come.”
Burpee will operate as a separate entity and will continue to be headquartered in Pennsylvania. Jamie Mattikow, Burpee's Chief Executive Officer, will continue to lead the business following the transaction, ensuring continuity for the organization and its customers.
Central was represented by Baker Botts as legal advisor. Burpee was represented by William Blair as financial advisor and Stradley Ronon as legal advisor.
Central will provide additional details on the acquisition during its fiscal fourth quarter and year-end earnings call.
About Central Garden & Pet
Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ: CENT) (NASDAQ: CENTA) is a leading consumer goods company in the pet and garden industries. Guided by the belief that home is central to life, the company's purpose is to proudly nurture happy and healthy homes. For over 45 years, its innovative and trusted solutions have helped lawns grow greener, gardens bloom bigger, pets live healthier, and communities grow stronger. Central is home to a diversified portfolio of market-leading brands including Amdro®, Aqueon®, Best Bully Sticks®, Cadet®, C&S®, Farnam®, Ferry-Morse®, Kaytee®, Nylabone®, Pennington®, Sevin® and Zoëcon®. With fiscal 2025 net sales of $3.1 billion, the company has strong manufacturing and logistics capabilities supported by a passionate, entrepreneurial growth culture that incorporates sustainability. Central is headquartered in Walnut Creek, California, and employs over 6,000 people, primarily across North America. Visit www.central.com to learn more.
About Burpee
Burpee was founded in 1876 and has grown into the premier brand in the packet seed and young plant categories, offering a comprehensive portfolio of seeds, plants, and garden supplies through mass merchandise, grocery, club, eCommerce, and home improvement retailers. Over its 150-year history, Burpee has built a legacy of trusted, guaranteed products and category-defining innovation, from the original ‘Iceberg’ lettuce to ‘Big Boy,’ the most popular tomato ever bred. Its seeds are tested to germinate well above state and federal minimums and are non-GMO. Visit www.burpee.com to learn more.
Safe Harbor Statement
“Safe Harbor” Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: All statements, other than statements of historical fact, could be deemed forward-looking statements.
Statements in this press release concerning Central's business, strategy and focus; our ability to successfully manage and grow Burpee's business; and our overall future prospects are forward-looking statements that involve a number of uncertainties and risks.
Actual results or events could differ materially from those anticipated in those forward-looking statements as a result of several factors, including, without limitation, risks related to disruption of management's attention from Central's ongoing business operations due to the transaction, our ability to integrate the acquired company, potential benefits of the transaction to Central and our customers, and other factors listed in our annual report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
All statements made in this press release are made only as of the date of this press release. Central undertakes no obligation to update the information in this press release in the event facts or circumstances subsequently change after the date of this press release.