Scotts Miracle-Gro announces formation of The Hawthorne Gardening Company

NEW YORK -- (via GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company (NYSE:SMG) announced today the formation of the Hawthorne Gardening Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary focused primarily on the emerging areas of indoor and urban gardening products.

Based in New York, the Hawthorne team will focus on building a portfolio of niche lawn and garden brands and products that appeal to younger and more urban consumers. Chris Hagedorn has been named general manager of the Hawthorne team reporting to Barry Sanders, president and chief operating officer.

Brands currently managed by the Hawthorne include Whitney Farms, a regional line of organic lawn and garden products, and AeroGarden, a soil-free indoor garden made by AeroGrow International. Chris Hagedorn is a member of the Board of Directors of AeroGrow International.

The formation of Hawthorne is consistent with the long-term growth strategy that has been articulated by Scotts Miracle-Gro. While Hawthorne will operate autonomously, it will leverage core assets in areas like R&D, supply chain and other support functions. The business results from Hawthorne will be consolidated into the Company's Global Consumer segment.