Business Segment Data The Companys chief operating decision-maker is its Chief Executive Officer. Operating segments are managed separately because each segment represents a strategic business that offers different products or services. The Companys chief operating decision maker evaluates performance based on operating income or loss. The Companys Corporate division is included in the following presentation since certain expenses of this division are not allocated separately to the two operating segments. Segment assets exclude cash equivalents, short-term investments, goodwill, and deferred taxes. Management has determined that the Company has two operating segments which are also reportable segments based on the level at which the chief operating decision maker reviews the results of operations to make decisions regarding performance assessment and resource allocation. These operating segments are the Pet segment and the Garden segment. Substantially all of the Companys assets and operations relate to its business in the United States. The Pet segment consists of DMC, K&amp;H Manufacturing, Four Paws Products, TFH Publications, Kaytee, C&amp;S Products, Aquatics, Interpet, IMS, Pets International, Breeders Choice, Life Sciences, and Segrest. These businesses are engaged in the manufacturing, purchase, sale and delivery of internally and externally produced pet supplies, books, food, live fish and small animals principally to independent pet distributors, national and regional retail chains, grocery stores, mass merchants and bookstores. The Garden segment consists of Pennington Seed, Hydro Organics, AMBRANDS, Lilly Miller, the Pottery Group, Bell Nursery, Arden Companies and Gulfstream. Products manufactured, designed and sourced, grown or distributed are products found typically in the lawn and garden sections of mass merchandisers, warehouse-type clubs, home improvement centers and nurseries and include grass seed, bird feed, terra cotta pottery, live plants, herbicides and insecticides. These products are sold directly to national and regional retail chains, independent garden distributors, grocery stores, nurseries and garden supply retailers. The Corporate division includes expenses associated with corporate functions and projects, certain employee benefits, interest income, interest expense and inter-segment eliminations. The following table indicates each class of similar products which represented approximately 10% or more of the Companys consolidated net sales in the fiscal years presented (in millions). Category 2019 2018 2017 Other pet products $ 613.4 $ 606.7 $ 603.6 Other garden products 560.8 445.7 377.0 Other manufacturers' products 504.5 454.3 409.0 Dog &amp; cat products 452.1 445.1 405.1 Controls &amp; fertilizer products 252.2 263.6 259.8 Total $ 2,383.0 $ 2,215.4 $ 2,054.5 See Note 4 - Concentration of Credit Risk and Significant Customers and Suppliers for the Companys largest customers by segment. Financial information relating to the Companys business segments for each of the three most recent fiscal years is presented in the table below (in thousands): Fiscal Year Ended September 28, 2019 September 29, 2018 September 30, 2017 Net sales: Pet segment $ 1,384,686 $ 1,340,899 $ 1,246,354 Garden segment 998,324 874,463 808,124 Total $ 2,383,010 $ 2,215,362 $ 2,054,478 Operating income (loss): Pet segment $ 122,727 (1) $ 140,353 $ 131,622 Garden segment 102,170 95,551 87,298 Corporate (72,829 ) (68,568 ) (62,808 ) Total 152,068 167,336 156,112 Interest expense (42,614 ) (39,196 ) (28,209 ) Interest income 9,554 3,145 147 Other income (expense), net 243 (3,860 ) (1,621 ) Income before income taxes and noncontrolling interest 119,251 127,425 126,429 Income tax expense 26,604 3,305 46,699 Net income including noncontrolling interest 92,647 124,120 79,730 Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest (139 ) 526 902 Net income attributable to Central Garden &amp; Pet Company $ 92,786 $ 123,594 $ 78,828 Assets: Pet segment $ 734,380 $ 683,938 $ 612,337 Garden segment 463,889 407,483 311,026 Corporate and eliminations 826,751 815,788 383,543 Total $ 2,025,020 $ 1,907,209 $ 1,306,906 Depreciation and amortization: Pet segment $ 32,803 $ 29,889 $ 26,044 Garden segment 11,959 8,744 6,267 Corporate 6,066 8,566 10,408 Total $ 50,828 $ 47,199 $ 42,719 Expenditures for long-lived assets: Pet segment $ 20,793 $ 26,979 $ 38,970 Garden segment 9,068 8,016 4,948 Corporate 1,716 2,850 741 Total $ 31,577 $ 37,845 $ 44,659 Noncontrolling interest is associated with the Garden segment. (1) Includes a $2.5 million impairment charge in fiscal 2019.