Central Garden & Pet’s Garden Leadership Change Takes Effect

Central Garden & Pet Company’s planned leadership change in its Garden business takes effect Sept. 26, with Jason Barnes assuming broader operating responsibility as J.D. Walker retires as president of Garden Consumer Products. Walker is leaving the operating post after 15 years with Central but will continue to support the company in a consulting capacity.

Central announced the succession plan on Sept. 21, saying Barnes will take responsibility for sales, marketing and service across the Garden segment. He will also oversee the Branded Controls, Grass Seed, Live Plants, Packet Seeds and Vendor Partner businesses. The shift places a larger part of Central’s Garden portfolio under an executive who has spent roughly two decades working across the company and the lawn-and-garden industry.

The effective date was separately confirmed in a Form 8-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The filing states that John D. Walker will retire as president, Garden Consumer Products, effective Sept. 26. Central’s own announcement identifies Barnes as his successor and says Walker will remain available as a consultant following the handoff.

Barnes steps up after years across Central’s Garden businesses

Barnes has served as executive vice president of Garden Consumer Products since October 2025. Central said he began his lawn-and-garden career with Pennington Seed in 2002 and joined the company in 2006. Since then, he has held positions across sales, business development and general management, giving him experience in both commercial functions and operating businesses.

Before becoming executive vice president, Barnes was senior vice president and general manager of Bell Nursery, DoMyOwn and Central’s Vendor Partner business. Those roles are directly relevant to his expanded remit because the new assignment includes management of the Vendor Partner business as well as responsibility across a broader set of branded Garden operations.

The scope also extends beyond a single product line. Central’s Garden business covers categories such as grass seed, controls, live plants, packet seeds and other lawn-and-garden products sold through major retailers and other channels. The company’s portfolio includes brands such as Pennington, Ferry-Morse, Amdro and Sevin, alongside businesses that serve consumers through different seasonal categories.

Chief Executive Officer Niko Lahanas said Central’s succession planning focused on a leader with detailed knowledge of the business and customers, a record of execution and familiarity with the company’s operating culture. He also pointed to Barnes’ relationships with customers and teams. Those comments reflect management’s view of the appointment, while Barnes’ tenure and previous assignments provide the underlying record for the continuity Central is emphasizing.

Walker exits the operating role after 15 years with Central

Walker joined Central in 2011 and became one of the senior leaders of its Garden operations. In announcing his retirement from the role, the company credited him with contributing to sales growth, profitability improvements and stronger relationships with retail partners. Central also cited his involvement in expanding the Garden portfolio through acquisitions including Arden, Bell Nursery, Hopewell Nursery, Green Garden Products and DoMyOwn.

His responsibilities developed over a long period rather than beginning with the current title. Central said Walker helped shape and grow the Garden segment and also played a leadership role in its Cost and Simplicity efforts, an initiative focused on operating improvements across the company. The Sept. 26 transition therefore represents a change at the top of a business Walker has influenced through multiple stages of its development.

The consulting arrangement means his departure from the president role is not an immediate break with the company. Central has not disclosed a fixed end date for the consulting work in the leadership announcement. That leaves Walker available during the transition while Barnes takes responsibility for the broader portfolio and customer-facing functions.

Barnes, for his part, framed the appointment as a continuation of the foundation built under Walker. Central did not announce a separate reorganization of the Garden segment alongside the succession. The disclosed change centers on who will hold the operating responsibilities that move to Barnes on Sept. 26.

The handoff follows higher Garden sales and operating income

The leadership change comes after Central reported year-over-year growth in its Garden segment for the fiscal third quarter ended June 27, 2026. Garden net sales were about $482 million, up from $468 million a year earlier, an increase of 3%. The company said the gain was primarily driven by Wild Bird, Fertilizer and Controls, and Grass Seeds.

Garden operating income rose to about $90 million from $83 million, a 9% increase, while operating margin expanded to 18.7% from 17.7%. Non-GAAP operating income was $91 million, compared with $85 million a year earlier, and adjusted EBITDA increased to $101 million from $96 million. These figures put the leadership handoff against a recent quarter in which the Garden segment improved both sales and reported operating profitability.

The broader company reported fiscal 2025 net sales of $3.1 billion and employs more than 6,000 people, primarily in North America. Central operates across both pet and garden categories, so Barnes is taking over one of the two major sides of a diversified consumer-products business rather than a standalone subsidiary with a narrow product set.

For the Garden segment, seasonal execution remains important because demand for many lawn-and-garden products is tied to weather, retailer timing and the spring selling season. The latest appointment does not change that operating profile. It changes who is accountable for a wide range of customer, marketing and business-management functions as Central enters the next phase of the segment’s leadership.

From Sept. 26, Barnes formally assumes the responsibilities described in Central’s announcement, while Walker moves into his consulting role. The company has not announced another leadership step tied to this succession, making the effective handoff itself the immediate milestone.