Michigan Business Network

Vic Verchereau welcomes Howdy Holmes, who is the CEO and Chairman of the Board of Chelsea Milling Company. Howdy Holmes started working at Chelsea Milling Company as a sophomore in high school. He worked in many departments, learning the company from the ground up, during summer breaks, throughout his high school and college years. Howdy left the company to pursue a boyhood dream, to be a race car driver. Howdy spent 20 years in motorsports: winning regional races, the Formula Atlantic Championship, and Rookie of the Year at the Indianapolis 500 in 1979. He competed in the Indy 500 six times, qualifying on the front row in 1984. As a businessman, Howdy operated a motorsports marketing company, as well as an advertising company, both of which served the motorsports community. He authored an award-winning book entitled, “Formula Car Technology” and was a contributing writer for magazines and newspapers about racing. He was also one of the first color commentators of racing for ESPN. Howdy rejoined the famil