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May 5 , 2021 CENTRAL GARDEN & PET Central Garden & Pet Announces Record Q2 Fiscal 2021 Results Q2 fiscal 2021 net sales increased 33 % to $ 935 million Q2 fiscal 2021 diluted EPS grew 69 % to $ 1.32 Raises outlook for fiscal 2021 diluted GAAP EPS to $ 2.25 or better Raises outlook for fiscal 2021 diluted Non - GAAP EPS to $ 2.42 or better Acquisitions expected to add an incremental $ 0.11- $ 0.16 to fiscal 2021 EPS WALNUT CREEK , Calif .-- ( BUSINESS WIRE ) -- Central Garden & Pet Company ( NASDAQ : CENT , CENTA ) ( " Central ” ) , a market leader in the Garden and Pet industries , today announced financial results for its fiscal 2021 second quarter ended March 27 , 2021 . " We delivered the fifth consecutive quarter of record financial results reflecting solid execution , continued strong demand in Pet and Garden and the tireless support of our employees , " said Tim Cofer , CEO of Central Garden & Pet . “ We are making further strides against our Central to Home strategy and are pleased with our recent acquisitions . We remain confident about our future and given our strong organic performance in the first half ; we are raising our outlook for fiscal 2021. " Fiscal 2021 Second Quarter Financial Results Total net sales increased 33 % to $ 935 million compared to $ 703 million a year ago , driven largely by organic growth in both segments as well as by the recent acquisitions which contributed $ 76 million to the quarter . Organic sales increased 23 % . Gross margin decreased 40 basis points to 29.1 % driven by the impact of initial purchase accounting adjustments related to recent acquisitions , as well as cost inflation in areas such as commodities , labor and freight . Operating income increased 58 % to $ 105 million from $ 66 million a year ago . Operating margin increased 180 basis points to 11.2 % compared to 9.4 % in the prior year quarter , primarily driven by operating efficiencies . EBITDA increased 56 % to $ 123 million from $ 79 million a year ago .