Central Garden & Pet Forms Joint Venture with Phillips Pet Food
Central Garden & Pet announced a strategic partnership with Phillips Pet Food & Supplies to launch a strategic pet distribution joint venture. By bringing together two highly complementary platforms, the companies aim to create a stronger, more agile nationwide distribution network designed to accelerate growth opportunities, drive greater operational efficiency, and deliver enhanced service and capabilities to the companies' customers, employees, and vendor partners. Under the terms of the agreement, Central will receive cash proceeds and retain a 20% ownership stake in the newly formed joint venture. Phillips and its existing investors, led by Axar Capital Management, will hold the remaining 80%, with the new business operating as an independent entity focused on scaling a differentiated, high-performance nationwide distribution platform. The joint venture will operate under the Phillips brand. Current Central Pet Distribution employees are expected to transition to the new joint venture, ensuring continuity of service, expertise, and customer relationships. Their deep knowledge of the business and strong partnerships with customers and vendors will remain a key strength of the combined platform, supporting a seamless transition and continued high-quality service for customers and partners. The formation of this joint venture positions Central's distribution capabilities to scale, compete, and win as part of a larger, dedicated platform while sharpening the company's focus on growing its branded portfolio. By combining Phillips' strength in pet food with Central's leadership in pet supplies, the joint venture is expected to create a more agile, efficient, and service-oriented network, with expanded reach and improved access for retail and independent partners across the United States. The new business will be led by Blaine Phillips, CEO and Chairman of Phillips, who has spent decades building Phillips into a leading national distributor serving the pet specialty channel. Known for his customer-first approach and deep industry relationships, he brings proven leadership and experience to guide the joint venture's next phase of growth.