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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
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FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OF 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) December 18, 1998
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Central Garden & Pet Company
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(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware 0-20242 68-0275553
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(State or other jurisdiction (Commission File (IRS Employer
of incorporation) Number) Identification No.)
3697 Mt. Diablo Boulevard, Lafayette, California 94549
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(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant's telephone number, including area code (925) 283-4573
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Inapplicable
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(Former name or former address if changed since last report)
Exhibit Index located on page 3
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Item 5. Other Events
On December 18, 1998, Central Garden & Pet Company (the "Company")
issued a press release announcing that the Company's Board of Directors
has authorized an increase of $30 million in the Company's share
repurchase program, bringing the existing program from $25 million to
$55 million.
Item 7. Financial Statement and Exhibits
(a) Not applicable
(b) Not applicable
(c) See attached Exhibit Index.
2
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EXHIBIT INDEX
Number Exhibit Page Number
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99.1 Press Release dated December 18, 1998. 5
3
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
CENTRAL GARDEN & PET COMPANY
By: /s/ Robert B. Jones
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Robert B. Jones, Vice President, Chief
Financial Officer and Secretary
Dated: December 21, 1998
4
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[LOGO OF CENTRAL GARDEN & PET]
Corporate Office
3697 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Suite 310
Lafayette, CA 94549
925) 283-4573
Fax (925) 283-4984
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts: Gregory Reams
Central Garden & Pet
(925) 283-4573
Paul Verbinnen/Debbie Miller
Sard Verbinnen & Co.
(212) 687-8080
CENTAL GARDEN & PET INCREASES SHARE REPURCHASE PROGRAM
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LAFAYETTE, CALIFORNIA, DECEMBER 18, 1998 - Central Garden & Pet Company
(NASDAQ:CENT), the nation's leading distributor of lawn and garden and pet
supplies, announced today that the Company's Board of Directors has authorized
an increase of $30 million in the Company's share repurchase program, bringing
the existing program from $25 million to $55 million. The Company has
approximately 31 million shares outstanding.
Purchases would be made through brokers and dealers in the public market
or privately negotiated transactions with nonaffiliated stockholders.
Central Garden & Pet Company is the leading national distributor of lawn
and garden and pet supply products. Central offers customers a wide array of
value-added services designed to increase the sales and profitability of both
manufacturers and retailers, including inventory management, advertising and
promotional programs, in-store service and display building and sales program
development. Central also offers lines of proprietary branded products which
include Pennington/R/, Kaytee/R/, TFH/R/, Zodiac/R/, and Four Paws/R/ pet
products, Island/R/ aquariums, Matthews/R/ redwood products and Grant's/R/ ant
control products.
"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform
Act of 1995: The statements contained in this release which are not historical
facts are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties
that could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in or
implied by forward-looking statements. These risks are described in the
Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings.
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