September 20, 2004

Central Garden & Pet Co. of Lafayette, Calif., has appointed Jim Heim as the new president of its pet products division. In addition, Andrew Beaurline has been appointed vice president of corporate development.

In their new roles, both men will report to Glenn Novotny, president and chief executive officer of Central.

"These are exciting additions to Central’s management team," Novotny said. "Jim’s broad and diverse background in sales, marketing and consumer package goods will be a tremendous asset as we continue to execute our branded products growth strategy. Andrew’s extensive background in mergers and acquisitions and valuation analysis will be critical as we continue to aggressively pursue strategic acquisitions."

Prior to joining Central, Heim served as president and CEO of The Color Factory, a domestic and international manufacturer of cosmetic brands. He was also CEO of Exchangebridge, an online ordering, cataloguing and processing system for manufacturers and retailers. He has also held positions with Procter & Gamble, American Pad & Paper, Polaroid, Maybelline and American Safety Razor.

Beaurline, prior to his new role, was senior vice president of corporate finance for Sucsy, Fischer & Co., an investment banking firm and valuation services firm in Chicago.

"We are committed to investing in intellectual capital to continue to strengthen and extend our existing brands, to continue to be the industry leader in quality and innovation, to continue to increase market share and to continue to make strategic acquisitions," Novotny said.

Central, a marketer and producer of branded products for the pet and lawn and garden supplies markets, has made several acquisitions over the past year, including those of Energy Savers Unlimited, Interpet, Kent Marine and New England Pottery.