Principals Info

Philip Gottwals


Philip Gottwals is a founding Principal of ACDS, LLC and directs the company's agricultural and rural economic development services. He brings over 14 years of experience in agricultural development and marketing at the local, state, and national level as well as the experience of successfully starting and managing three food and development oriented businesses.
Mr. Gottwals specialty areas include:

• Strategic and Rural Economic Development Planning

• Agricultural Marketing

• Feasibility Analysis for Shared-Use Food Processing Center, Agricultural Marketing Facilities, and Business Support Programs

• Agricultural Impact and Regional Economic Studies

• Farm Business and Farm Enterprise Planning

• Entrepreneurship and Small Business Training

• Food Distribution Systems Analysis

• Agricultural Tourism

Recent projects include strategic and business planning for public and private sector clients, regional studies of food marketing systems, and the design of a $83 million tobacco-transition program for the State of Maryland.
Mr. Gottwals is also the co-author of "Tilling the Soil of Opportunity: A Guide for Agricultural Entrepreneurs."