Central Garden & Pet (CENT) awards chair 14,063 restricted shares

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Central Garden & Pet Company chairman, director, and 10% owner William E. Brown reported an equity award of Class A Common Stock. On February 11, 2026 he acquired 14,063 shares as a restricted stock grant at a price of $0 per share.

Following this award, Brown directly beneficially owned 939,588 Class A shares. An additional 374,258 Class A shares are held by various family irrevocable trusts, where he and his spouse act as co-trustees and share investment control, while disclaiming beneficial ownership except to the extent of their pecuniary interest.

SEC Form 4

FORM 4

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

Check this box to indicate that a transaction was made pursuant to a contract, instruction or written plan for the purchase or sale of equity securities of the issuer that is intended to satisfy the affirmative defense conditions of Rule 10b5-1(c). See Instruction 10.

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person^*

BROWN WILLIAM E

(Last) (First) (Middle)

C/O CENTRAL GARDEN & PET COMPANY

1340 TREAT BLVD, SUITE 600

(Street)

WALNUT CREEK CA 94597

(City) (State) (Zip)

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
CENTRAL GARDEN & PET CO [ CENT ]

5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)

X	Director	X	10% Owner
X	Officer (give title below)		Other (specify below)
	Chairman

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
02/11/2026

4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)

X	Form filed by One Reporting Person
	Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4)	6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
			Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price
Class A Common Stock	02/11/2026		A		14,063(1)	A	$0	939,588	D
Class A Common Stock								374,258	I	By Irrevocable Trusts(2)

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4)		8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)	9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)	10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
				Code	V	(A)	(D)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares

Explanation of Responses:

1. The Reporting Person was awarded by the Issuer's Compensation Committee on February 11, 2026 a grant of 14,063 shares of restricted Class A Common Stock, which will vest in increments of 33 1/3% per year commencing on the third anniversary of the date of the grant.

2. These securities are owned directly by various family Irrevocable Trusts and indirectly by the Reporting Person and his spouse as co-trustees of the Irrevocable Trusts. The Reporting Person and his spouse, as co-trustees, have and share investment control over the securities held in each of the Irrevocable Trusts but disclaim beneficial ownership of the reported securities held by the Irrevocable Trusts except to the extent of his and his wife's pecuniary interest therein.

	/s/ William E. Brown	02/12/2025
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.
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FAQ

What insider transaction did CENT report for William E. Brown?

William E. Brown reported receiving a grant of 14,063 shares of restricted Class A Common Stock from Central Garden & Pet. The grant was made on February 11, 2026 as an equity award, not an open-market purchase, at a price of $0 per share.

How many Central Garden & Pet (CENT) shares does William E. Brown hold after this grant?

After the transaction, William E. Brown beneficially owned 939,588 Class A shares directly. Separately, 374,258 Class A shares are held in various family irrevocable trusts, where he and his spouse are co-trustees and share investment control, subject to their stated ownership disclaimers.

What are the vesting terms of William E. Brown’s 14,063 restricted CENT shares?

The 14,063 restricted Class A shares granted to William E. Brown vest in three equal installments of 33 1/3% per year. Vesting begins on the third anniversary of the February 11, 2026 grant date, meaning the award is structured as long-term incentive compensation.

How are the CENT shares held in family irrevocable trusts treated in this Form 4?

The 374,258 Class A shares are owned by various family irrevocable trusts and reported as indirect holdings. Brown and his spouse, as co-trustees, share investment control but disclaim beneficial ownership of these trust-held shares except to the extent of their pecuniary interest in the trusts.

What roles does William E. Brown hold at Central Garden & Pet (CENT)?

William E. Brown is identified as a director, a 10% owner, and an officer with the title of chairman at Central Garden & Pet. These roles are disclosed in the filing to clarify his status as a reporting person subject to Section 16 reporting requirements.

Was cash paid for the 14,063-share CENT restricted stock grant?

No cash was paid for this award; the 14,063 restricted Class A shares were granted at a reported price of $0 per share. This indicates the transaction represents a stock-based compensation grant approved by the issuer’s compensation committee on February 11, 2026.