Central Garden & Pet acquires Bell Nursery

Central Garden & Pet Company, a producer and distributor of products for the lawn and garden and pet supplies markets, has purchased Bell Nursery Holdings, according to a press release. Headquartered in Maryland, Bell Nursery is the largest commercial flower and plant grower in the Mid-Atlantic region and has facilities in Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, Delaware and Ohio.

“We are excited to add Bell Nursery’s live plant business to Central’s broad garden products portfolio,” said George Roeth, president and CEO of Central Garden & Pet, in the release. “We view the live plant area as an attractive growth opportunity that is growing faster than the overall garden industry and is synergistic with our existing garden portfolio. In addition, Bell’s focus on quality and excellence in customer service are compatible with Central’s way of doing business. We look forward to working with the management team at Bell, who are remaining with the company, to grow the business profitably in the years ahead.”

Based in Walnut Creek, California, Central Garden & Pet Company has about 4,200 employees. Its products in the lawn and garden market include grass seed, fertilizer, weed and insect control, decorative outdoor patio products and wild bird feed under brands such as Pennington, The Rebels, Amdro, Sevin, Over'n Out and Ironite.