Building the Finance Organization from Scratch: GardenCore Appoints Phyllis Knight as Chief Financial Officer

GardenCore, a leading U.S. manufacturer of lawn and garden consumables backed by Pacific Avenue Capital Partners, has appointed Phyllis Knight as Chief Financial Officer.

Ms. Knight brings more than 35 years of progressive financial and operational experience, including over two decades in named CFO roles across publicly traded, PE-backed, and distressed business contexts. She joins GardenCore as the company builds out its finance organization as a fully standalone business following Pacific Avenue’s acquisition of Oldcastle Lawn & Garden from CRH in a transaction valued at over $1.1 billion.

Most recently, Ms. Knight served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Tecumseh Products Company, a PE-backed global manufacturer of compressor technology with operations in six countries and approximately 4,000 employees. During her tenure, she led a major footprint realignment and cost rationalization effort that returned the business to strong profitability.

Prior to Tecumseh, she served as Chief Financial Officer of Diversified Restaurant Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: SAUC), where she managed the spin-off of the Bagger Dave’s business unit and led efforts to recapitalize the company, ultimately resulting in a take-private transaction and sale to a PE sponsor. Earlier, she served as CFO of Polar Corporation, where she was brought in by the private equity owner to complete a sale of the company, closing successfully in 2015.

Ms. Knight’s foundational CFO experience was built over 12 years at Champion Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE: CHB), a national publicly traded manufacturer of modular and manufactured housing. She joined a company operating at a loss, reduced costs by $50 million, led the company through a prepackaged Chapter 11 reorganization in 2009, and was subsequently appointed Interim CEO during the post-reorganization period. She began her career at KPMG, where she progressed to Senior Manager in Transaction Services over nine years.

Ms. Knight currently serves as Chair of the Audit Committee and Member of the Compensation Committee at Alliance Laundry Systems. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from Michigan State University and is a Certified Public Accountant

About GardenCore

GardenCore is a leading U.S. manufacturer of lawn and garden consumables, offering a broad portfolio of mulch, soil, stone, and lime products. The Company has deep, long-standing partnerships with major home improvement retailers and garden centers, and delivers consistent, high-quality execution across large-scale private label and branded programs. The Company has over 1,400 employees and operates more than 55 manufacturing facilities across the United States. For more information, visit www.gardencore.com.

About Pacific Avenue Capital Partners

Pacific Avenue Capital Partners is a global private equity firm headquartered in Los Angeles, with an office in Paris, France. The firm is focused on corporate divestitures, carve-outs, and other complex situations in the middle market. Pacific Avenue’s team has closed more than 120 transactions, including over 50 corporate divestitures, across a wide range of industries throughout their combined careers. Pacific Avenue has approximately $3.8 billion of assets under management as of September 30, 2025. For more information, visit www.pacificavenuecapital.com.

About Vardis

Vardis is a leading international executive search firm with offices in the US, UK, and Germany. Its PE focus, pre-deal offering, and data-driven approach make it a trusted partner to private equity sponsors for senior executive and board-level recruitment. For more information, visit www.vardis.com.