ScottsMiracle-Gro Announces Strategic Leadership Succession

About this update from Scotts Miracle-gro Company (the)

Nate Baxter Appointed President and Chief Executive Officer Pete Shumlin Elected Chairman of the Board MARYSVILLE, Ohio, June 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company (NYSE: SMG), the leading marketer of branded consumer lawn and garden products in North America, today announced that the Board of Directors has named Nate Baxter as president and CEO, effective immediately. In addition, Baxter has joined the Board of Directors. The Board also elected independent Lead Director Pete Shumlin as chairman of the Board. Baxter succeeds Jim Hagedorn, 70, CEO since 2001 and chairman since 2003, whose transition from the Company and its Board of Directors aligns with the Board’s long-term internal succession plan. The framework of the succession plan was established by the Board of Directors upon Baxter joining the Company in 2023. During his tenure, Baxter, 53, has driven a relentless focus on operational excellence and is the architect of the Company’s multi-year SMG 2.0 growth strategy centered on category growth, channel expansion and product innovation grounded in naturals and organics. He also has spearheaded the implementation of technology, automation, data analytics and AI to deliver operational and cost efficiencies throughout the organization. Hagedorn completed a nearly 40-year career with the Company, having held sales, operations and management roles before becoming CEO and chairman. Hagedorn, whose father Horace started Miracle-Gro in 1951, led the merger of the family business with The Scotts Company in 1995. In his time as CEO, he shaped the modern lawn and garden industry through acquisitions of key brands, such as Ortho and Tomcat, that significantly expanded the portfolio and through strategic growth initiatives that included the joint venture with Bonnie Plants. He advanced new approaches to consumer marketing and led the public listing of SMG on the New York Stock Exchange. Annual revenue climbed from $732 million in 1995 after the Scotts and Miracle-Gro merger to $3.3 billion in fiscal 2025. “Jim has made ScottsMiracle-Gro what it is today and fundamentally modernized the lawn and garden industry by championing the consumer experience,” Shumlin said. “As a former F-16 fighter pilot, he brought a boldness and competitive spirit to the Company that remains a big part of the associate experience. He has given most of his a...

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