Our Consultants

After obtaining his PhD in Agricultural Economics from the University of Tennessee, Dr. Wolfe worked for Gallup Organization for seven years where he conducted market research for companies such as Mazda North America, Coca Cola, and Blue Cross Blue Shield. He has extensive market research experience in a spectrum of industries and his major job responsibilities include directing and analyzing market research projects for use in feasibility analysis, directing promotional effectiveness evaluation studies and developing a proactive value-added educational program. Dr. Wolfe worked with development authorities on arena and conference center projects and has also worked with chambers of commerce in developing a feasibility study to evaluate the market potential for proposed business ventures and community facilities. In addition, he has helped numerous businesses develop marketing plans, work to identify market segments to include, target market(s) identification, estimating market potential for a wide spectrum of businesses, create promotional materials based on market research, product taste testing, web site design and development, and online marketing. 

Dr. Wolfe has worked with over 300 small and medium businesses throughout his career to help them evaluate their products and services and how they fit into the marketplace, design or redesign their packaging, set pricing and develop effective marketing materials. Specifically, he completed data analysis utilizing multi-variate statistical techniques to model relationships between variables as hypothesized in the research. Examples of statistical modeling included estimating new product market potential, forecasting consumer demand, customer satisfaction, advertising recall, product and incentive advertising effectiveness, and consumer purchase intent.

Dr. Michael Best's primary responsibilities include authoring feasibility studies and conducting both economic and financial analyses. He has a PhD from the University of Kentucky in Agricultural Economics and is currently the director of the Executive Farm Management program at North Carolina State and teaches in the agribusiness management program.  Dr. Best teaches courses in agricultural finance, farm and agribusiness management and performs research in the agricultural business discipline. In addition to his research skills, Dr. Best also has extensive hands-on experience in greenhouse vegetable production, which gives our firm a producer perspective when conducting studies.

Dr. Wolfe and Dr. Best have been working together as business consultants for more than 18 years completing feasibility studies, market research and impact analysis for value added agricultural enterprises like milk bottling plants, hotels, restaurants, travel centers, apartment complexes, conference/educational centers, and even solar farms.  Over the past ten years, Dr. Best and Dr. Wolfe have helped rural businessmen, farmers and fisherman write over 130 business plans and have authored over 50 feasibility studies and grants for clients in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Mississippi, Tennessee, Texas, and Oklahoma. To date, this work has allowed their clients to obtain over $75 million dollars in loans and grants to expand their rural businesses through the USDA.  

Ms. Julia Griffin is the newest member of Goldenhorn.  Her primary responsibilities include performing financial analysis on feasibility studies and researching the technical analyses for those projects.   She has a B.S. in Agribusiness Management from NC State University with minors in both Economics and Entrepreneurship.  While at NC State she worked for the Executive Farm Management Program which involves teaching strategic management to large scale farmers in the Southeast and was a undergraduate research assistant on a project determining the feasibility of utilizing High Oleic Peanuts as a feed supplement for layers in the poultry industry.   She is from Tryon, NC originally and is working towards her MBA at NC state.