Central Garden & Pet Company Names New Independent Director

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WALNUT CREEK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ: CENT) (NASDAQ: CENTA), a leading innovator, producer and distributor of branded and private label products for the lawn & garden and pet supplies markets, today announced that it has appointed a new independent director, Christopher Metz, to the Company’s Board of Directors, effective immediately. The appointment of Mr. Metz increases Central’s Board to ten directors.

Mr. Metz has more than 25 years of experience leading high-performing companies and brands in the consumer and durable industries. He is currently the CEO for Vista Outdoor Inc., a publicly-held leading global designer, manufacturer, and marketer in the outdoor sports and recreation industry. Mr. Metz joined Vista Outdoor in 2017 and already has increased its free cash flow from $41 million to $206 million during his tenure as CEO. Prior to his time at Vista, Mr. Metz served as President and CEO of Arctic Cat, a manufacturer of outdoor recreational vehicles. Prior to that position, he worked as a managing director of a leading private equity firm and previous to that position, held numerous senior management positions at Black & Decker, including the president of the company’s Kwikset, Price Pfister, and Baldwin Hardware divisions. Mr. Metz currently serves on a number of boards including Vista Outdoors and the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation.

“We are excited to have Chris join Central’s Board,” said Sonny Pennington, Chairman of the Board of Central Garden & Pet. “He brings to Central a wealth of experience in managing brands and in driving value creation through the introduction of new products, optimizing cost structures, and navigating competitive categories.” Pennington continued, “His current role has him in a company whose structure closely matches Central – an organization which was built through acquisition and is a collection of 50 independent companies. We look forward to his insight and guidance as Central builds on its previous success and continues to grow and flourish in the years ahead.”

Mr. Metz earned a bachelors degree in finance and marketing from the University of Delaware and an MBA from the University of North Carolina, at Chapel Hill. He and his family reside in Delray Beach, FL.

About Central Garden & Pet

Central Garden & Pet Company is a leading innovator, producer and distributor of branded and private label products for the lawn & garden and pet supplies markets. Committed to new product innovation, our products are sold to specialty independent and mass retailers. Participating categories in Lawn & Garden include: Grass seed and the brands PENNINGTON®, and THE REBELS®; wild bird feed and the brand PENNINGTON®; weed and insect control and the brands AMDRO®, SEVIN®, and OVER-N-OUT®; fertilizer and the brands PENNINGTON® and IRONITE®; live plants from BELL NURSERY; and decorative outdoor patio products under the PENNINGTON® brand. 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™, COMFORT ZONE®, FARNAM®, HORSE HEALTH™ and VITAFLEX®; aquatics and reptile and the brands AQUEON®, CORALIFE®, SEGREST™ and ZILLA®; bird & small animal and the brands KAYTEE®, Forti-Diet® and CRITTER TRAIL®; and dog & cat and the brands TFH™, NYLABONE®, FOUR PAWS®, IMS®, CADET®, DMC™, K&H Pet Products™, PINNACLE® and AVODERM®. 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 5,400 employees, primarily in North America. 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.

Steve Zenker
VP Finance - Investor Relations, FP&A & Corporate Communications
Central Garden & Pet Company
925-948-3657

Source: Central Garden & Pet Company

Released February 14, 2019