Pet Business: With a nationwide warehouse network, Central Pet Distribution is unique among U.S. pet product distributors. What benefits does this enable you to offer to your retailer partners?

Scott Rath: Our distribution centers are strategically located throughout the U.S., allowing us to provide service to a variety of pet industry retailers. Not just the very important independent retailer, but regional chains and those with a national presence as well. With our network, we are able to offer the most complete selection of pet products available with 24-hour order turnaround capabilities in most markets.


PB: Another thing that makes Central Pet unique is its connection to the wide range of popular Central Garden & Pet product brands. Does this connection create any particular benefits and/or challenges?

Rath: Our focus is on carrying the best assortment of products that will drive profit and growth for our customers. Whether the product is from Central Garden & Pet or other manufacturers, our commitment is to offer the best selection. Central Garden & Pet brands are consistently recognized as industry leaders in quality and innovation, and many hold number-one or number-two positions in their respective categories. So, the benefit is really what we bring our customers in offering the top brands that are leaders in each segment. We know that our customers’ success relies on offering high-quality, innovative products that pet owners expect.


PB: In addition to being an essential part of the supply chain for pet specialty retailers, distributors also provide valuable guidance and assistance in a variety of ways. What are some of value-added services that Central Pet offers that makes them more than simply a supplier of products?

Rath: One of the biggest benefits a retailer can gain from a distributor is by using the resources of the distributor to better their business. Central Distribution offers a number of targeted, value-added services designed to create solutions for today’s retail challenges. At the forefront is a team of highly experienced, well-trained sales professionals with a recognized expertise in product knowledge and retail programs. Their in-depth, local market knowledge allows retailers to get out in front of new product launches and stay in step with key trends.

Cascading from this are Central’s strong partnerships with manufacturers, which enable our customers to take advantage of the most lucrative promotional offerings and advertising programs in the industry. We also provide solutions for retailers interested in expanding their business via their website by offering Internet fulfillment.


PB: Many pet product distributors have been very active in seeking out efficiencies to drive some of the cost out of the supply chain. Has this been a particular focus for Central Pet? What have you done, and how has it paid off?

Rath: Reducing costs is an everyday focus, and in challenging economic times such as these, we have put a spotlight on supply-chain management efforts to try and squeeze even greater efficiency out of the supply chain. Recently, we’ve looked at efficiencies in customer deliveries, routing of our trucks and invested in software and resources to enhance electronic ordering, benefiting both the customer and supplier.

More recently, we’ve developed an activity-based costing model to assist in the management and balancing of inventories in our distribution centers and have begun a deep dive into our process flows—both operational and administrative—to identify waste and non-value-added processes.

We are also excited about the progress that the Pet Industry Distributors Association is making with the pet industry’s first universal SKU database. The program is focused on synching manufacturer-distributor-retailer data, ultimately simplifying the entire SKU-management process.


PB: What are the latest developments at Central Pet Distribution? What can retailers expect from the company in the future, both in the long term and short term?

Rath: Our primary focus is and will continue to be committed to ensuring the health and success of our customers. We must continue to add value and offer solutions that exceed our customers’ expectations and enhance their business. In the short term, we are very excited about the upcoming launch of our new E-commerce platform, CentralPet.com, which is scheduled to debut at Global Pet Expo later this month.