Central Garden & Pet Company Names Frank Palantoni Executive Vice President, President-Pet Segment

WALNUT CREEK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ: CENT) (NASDAQ: CENTA), a leading innovator, marketer and producer of quality branded products for the lawn and garden and pet supplies market, today announced the appointment of Frank Palantoni as Executive Vice President, President-Pet Segment, effective February 14, 2011. Mr. Palantoni will report to William E. Brown, Central's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. He will play a senior management role at the Company, including leadership of the Company's Pet Segment.

Since 2006, Mr. Palantoni has been chief executive officer of P3 Capital Management LLC, an advisory and private equity firm specializing in consumer goods acquisitions and product development. He previously served as president and chief executive officer of Prestige Brands, Inc. and as a senior executive of Novartis Pharmaceuticals AG, Gerber Products Company and Groupe Danone. His professional experience spans 19 years in general management, and includes international and worldwide roles, in food, baby care, household products, personal care, OTC pharmaceuticals, medical devices and insurance.

"Frank represents an important addition to our senior management team," said Mr. Brown. "His leadership skills will help us effectively implement our growth plan and business strategies, and his broad and deep experience with branded consumer products will help us continue to strengthen our relationships with the consumer and with our retail partners. I look forward to working with him closely."

Central Garden & Pet Company is a leading innovator, marketer and producer of quality branded products for the lawn and garden and pet supplies markets. Committed to new product innovation, our products are sold to specialty independent and mass retailers. Participating categories in Lawn and Garden include: Grass seed and the brands PENNINGTON(R), SMART SEED^TM and THE REBELS(TM); wild bird feed and the brand PENNINGTON(R); weed and insect control and the brands AMDRO(R), SEVIN(R), IRONITE(R) and Over 'N Out(R); and decorative outdoor patio products and the brands NORCAL(R), NEW ENGLAND POTTERY(R) and MATTHEWS FOUR SEASONS(TM). We also provide a host of other regional and application-specific garden brands and supplies. Participating categories in Pet include: Animal health and the brands ADAMS(TM) and ZODIAC(R); aquatics and reptile and the brands OCEANIC(R), AQUEON(TM) and ZILLA(TM); bird and small animal and the brands KAYTEE(R), SUPER PET(R) and CRITTER TRAIL(R); dog and cat and the brands TFH(TM), NYLABONE(R), FOUR PAWS(R), PINNACLE(R) and Avoderm(R); and equine and the brands FARNAM(R), BRONCO(R) and SUPER MASK(R). We also provide a host of other application-specific Pet brands and supplies. Central Garden & Pet Company is based in Walnut Creek, California, and has approximately 4,300 employees, primarily in North America and Europe. For additional information on Central Garden & Pet Company, including access to the Company's SEC filings, please visit the Company's website at www.central.com.

"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: The statements contained in this release which are not historical facts, including the potential for incorrect profitable sales, are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in or implied by forward-looking statements. These risks are described in the Central's Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed November 19, 2010, and Central's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, filed February 3, 2011, and other Securities and Exchange Commission filings. Central undertakes no obligation to publicly update these forward-looking statements to reflect new information, subsequent events or otherwise.

    Source: Central Garden & Pet Company

Released February 7, 2011