Burpee, a 150-year-old Philadelphia area institution, has been sold
Burpee, a pioneering seed and garden supply company, has been rooted in the Philadelphia area since it was founded in 1876 by W. Atlee Burpee.
Bucks County-based W. Atlee Burpee Co., which celebrated its 150th anniversary this year, has been acquired by Central Garden & Pet Co.
Burpee, a pioneering seed and garden supply company, has been rooted in the Philadelphia area since it was founded in 1876 in Philadelphia by W. Atlee Burpee.
The company has changed hands in the past but has remained local and still operates Fordhook Farm in Doylestown. Its headquarters is in Warminster.
Burpee was purchased in 1991 by George Ball, now the former owner and executive chair.
“Burpee is an unmatched, beloved brand in home gardening, and my goal in this transaction was to find it a home that would be a strong steward of that legacy,” Ball said in a statement, noting that current leadership will remain.
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The acquisition by California-based Central Garden & Pet closed on Sept. 30. The announcement was made Monday.
Burpee will continue to operate as a separate entity and remain headquartered in Pennsylvania, according to a news release. CEO Jamie Mattikow will continue to lead the company.
“Burpee is an iconic American brand with a remarkable 150-year legacy of innovation, quality and consumer trust,” said Niko Lahanas, chief executive officer of Central Garden & Pet.
Lahanas said Burpee’s established relationship with its customers and digital capabilities “make it a compelling addition to our garden portfolio.”
Based in Walnut Creek, Calif., Central Garden & Pet has been in the pet and garden industries for 45 years.
Its portfolio includes Pennington, Ferry-Morse, and American Seed in the lawn and seed categories. It also includes pet foods, plant fertilizer, flea and tick control, and aquarium products.
It had net sales of $3.1 billion in fiscal year 2025 and employs over 6,000 people, mostly in North America, according to the company.
Burpee’s iconic seeds
Burpee began introducing what would become its iconic seeds starting in the 19th century. Over the decades, it developed iceberg lettuce, Big Boy tomatoes, Snowbird sugar snap peas, and Golden Bantam sweet corn.
Burpee’s growth exploded when it became an early adopter of mail-order catalogs. Its catalog became a rural household staple.
In 1888, Burpee bought a farm on New Britain Road in Doylestown. He named it Fordhook and transformed it into the company’s experimental garden and began conducting thousands of seed trials. The 60-acre property still opens to the public once a year.
Burpee expanded beyond seeds long ago and sells other products such as live plants and supplies like soil and cages. Its products can be found in big box stores and online.
In a previous interview, Mattikow, Burpee’s CEO, declined to share financial details or an employee count. But, he said, consumers spent $242 million on Burpee products in 2025, a 120% jump from 2019.
On Monday, Mattikow said in an email that “the Burpee team and I are excited about the news.”
He called Central Garden & Pet “a successful company committed to the gardening category who appreciate what makes Burpee special as a brand and a company” and has “resources to help us accelerate our growth and provide opportunities for our employees.”
