Chelsea Milling Co. is operated by a family whose roots in the flour milling business date back to the early 1800s. Mabel White Holmes, grandmother of current president and CEO Howdy S. Holmes, developed and introduced to the homemaker the first prepared baking mix product, “JIFFY” Baking Mix, in the spring of 1930. “JIFFY” is the market-share leader in retail prepared baking mixes. In 2007, Chelsea Milling entered the institutional market, selling to large hotels and prisons.

Howdy Holmes returned to the family business in November of 1987 after successfully competing in the world of motorsports for 20 years. As a racecar driver, he won championships and was the “Rookie of the Year” at the Indy 500 in 1979. He competed in six Indy 500 events. When he retired in 1988, he held the best average finishing record of anyone who started more than four events. As a businessman, Howdy operated a motorsports marketing company and an advertising company, which served the motorsports community. He authored an award-winning book called, Formula Car Technology and was a contributing writer for magazines and newspapers about racing. He was also one of the first color commentators on racing for ESPN. Upon returning to “JIFFY” in 1987, Howdy led a transformation of the then 100-year-old family business.