Central Garden and Pet Company Bringing New Shared Services Center to Boise

4/19/2012
Information Contact: Clark Krause (208) 863-9675

Boise, ID: Central Garden & Pet Company, a leading innovator, marketer and producer of quality branded products for the lawn and garden and pet supplies markets, today announced that the company would establish a new shared services center in Boise, Idaho. The center will provide transactional processing services for the Company’s U.S. operations.

"Thanks to a statewide collaborative effort, the publicly traded Central Garden & Pet Company will establish its new shared services center in Boise, Idaho, resulting in professional salaried jobs in accounting, IT, purchasing, human resources, logistics and finance," said Clark Krause, Boise Valley Economic Partnership Executive Director. "This win is a result of multiple agencies working together to showcase the Valley and the state as a premier place to do business. Specifically we'd like to thank the Idaho Department of Labor's Workforce Development Training Fund under leadership of Roger Madsen, Governor Butch Otter, Idaho Department of Commerce Director Jeff Sayer, KPMG's John Hale and Collier International's Dave Wali."

The Company previously announced its intention to transform its operations from a portfolio of companies to an integrated, multi-brand organization, to better support its customers’ needs and to improve the Company’s efficiency and profitability. The transformation program includes the implementation of standardized processes and common financial systems. Central’s action to open a shared services center is in keeping with its goal of centralizing transactional activities in order to drive efficiencies, leverage automation and reduce administrative costs.

"The consolidation of our transactional processing into a new centralized sharedservices center will enable us to better serve our customers while streamlining our processes, increasing our efficiency and reducing our costs,” said Lori Varlas, Chief Financial Officer. “We are pleased to locate our center in Boise as it offers considerable advantages, including its experienced and skilled workforce, ease of doing business, and low cost profile."

Boise Mayor Dave Bieter agreed writing, "This national company's decision to establish an important presence here demonstrates what studies have shown and many other businesses know: that low costs, ample infrastructure and strong professional workforce make Boise the prime location for professional and shared services. And given Boiseans' enthusiasm for their gardens and pets, Central Garden & Pet Company is a perfect fit.

The Company’s corporate headquarters are based in Walnut Creek, California.

The center will begin phasing in operations in June and is expected to be completely staffed within eighteen to twenty-four months. Central will begin recruiting activities for the center immediately, drawing primarily from the sizeable pool of available talent in the area. The new Central facility will serve as a shared servicecenter for select administrative functions beginning with finance and supply chain transactional tasks.

Idaho Governor C.L. "Butch" Otter hailed the move today saying, "This is great news that highlights the importance of BVEP and state folks working together to bring more career opportunities to our Idaho communities. Helping our existing companies grow and recruiting new employers looking for a great workforce in a business-friendly tax and regulatory environment are cornerstones of Project 60. I look forward to welcoming Central Garden and Pet Company as our newest corporate citizen.

Click here for a fact sheet with more details on The Central Garden Company

News tag(s): Business Project_60 Boise Central_Garden_and_Pet_Company