Central Garden & Pet and Phillips Pet Food & Supplies Launch Strategic Pet Distribution Joint Venture

Partnership expands nationwide distribution and enhances customer support for pet brands and retailers

Apr. 13, 2026 at 3:24pm

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A high-end studio still life featuring a collection of stylized pet food and supply products arranged elegantly on a clean, monochromatic background, conveying the abstract concepts of corporate strategy and distribution in the pet industry.A premium pet distribution partnership aims to create a more efficient and service-oriented network to better serve customers and vendors nationwide.Easton Today

Central Garden & Pet, a leading consumer goods company in the pet and garden industries, has announced a strategic partnership with Phillips Pet Food & Supplies, a leading national distributor of pet products, to launch a strategic pet distribution joint venture. The new joint venture will operate under the Phillips brand and combine the companies' complementary distribution capabilities to create a stronger, more agile nationwide platform designed to accelerate growth, drive operational efficiency, and deliver enhanced service to customers, employees, and vendor partners.

Why it matters

This joint venture positions Central's distribution capabilities to scale and compete more effectively as part of a larger, dedicated platform, while allowing Central to sharpen its focus on growing its branded pet supplies portfolio. By combining Phillips' strength in pet food with Central's leadership in pet supplies, the new venture is expected to create a more agile, efficient, and service-oriented distribution network with expanded reach and improved access for retail and independent partners across the United States.

The details

Under the terms of the agreement, Central will receive cash proceeds and retain a 20% ownership stake in the newly formed joint venture, while Phillips and its existing investors, led by Axar Capital Management, will hold the remaining 80%. The joint venture will operate as an independent entity focused on scaling a differentiated, high-performance nationwide distribution platform. Current Central Pet Distribution employees are expected to transition to the new joint venture, ensuring continuity of service, expertise, and customer relationships.

  • The joint venture is expected to launch in the coming months.
  • 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.

The players

Central Garden & Pet

A leading consumer goods company in the pet and garden industries, with a diversified portfolio of market-leading brands.

Phillips Pet Food & Supplies

A leading national distributor of pet products, serving a diverse customer base including feed & farm stores, groomers, veterinarians, and independent pet retailers.

Axar Capital Management LP

An investment manager focused on value-oriented and opportunistic investing, and the lead investor in Phillips.

Blaine Phillips

The CEO and Chairman of Phillips Pet Food & Supplies, who has spent decades building the company into a leading national distributor.

Niko Lahanas

The CEO of Central Garden & Pet.

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What they’re saying

“Phillips and Central bring together highly complementary distribution capabilities. This joint venture strengthens the foundation of our distribution business by placing it within a scaled platform built for growth, while enabling Central to further expand the reach of our branded pet supplies portfolio.”

— Niko Lahanas, CEO of Central Garden & Pet

“I built Phillips from a small family feed store into a large national distributor committed to improving the lives of pets and the people who care for them. Partnering with Central – an industry leader that shares our values – marks an exciting new chapter. Together, we're positioned to serve our customers more effectively and expand our reach in new and innovative ways.”

— Blaine Phillips, CEO and Chairman of Phillips Pet Food & Supplies

“By bringing together complementary scale and service capabilities nationwide, this transaction represents a milestone for the Phillips platform and the broader pet distribution ecosystem. It uniquely positions Phillips to support the evolving needs of our customers and vendors nationwide while maintaining the service orientation that has defined both businesses for decades.”

— Grant Mitchell, Deputy CIO of Axar Capital Management

What’s next

The joint venture is expected to launch in the coming months, with the new business operating under the Phillips brand and led by Blaine Phillips as CEO and Chairman.

The takeaway

This strategic partnership between Central Garden & Pet and Phillips Pet Food & Supplies creates a stronger, more agile nationwide distribution platform for the pet industry, allowing both companies to better serve their customers and vendors while positioning Central to focus on growing its branded pet supplies portfolio.