Jiffy corn muffin mix, a beloved staple in American kitchens for generations, remains shockingly affordable at under one dollar — 75 years after it first hit grocery store shelves.
Howard S. Holmes II, president and CEO of Chelsea Milling Company, told NPR that keeping the price low is intentional and rooted in the company’s identity. Because Chelsea Milling is a family-owned business that doesn’t report to shareholders, it can prioritize long-term value and community over short-term profits.
Holmes’ great-grandmother, Mabel White Holmes, created the original mix in 1930 to help a single father feed his children during the Great Depression. It sold for 10 cents then, and can still be found for as little as 50 cents today.
Founded in 1887 and taken over by Holmes’ family in 1901, Chelsea Milling has remained fiercely independent. Holmes says he routinely turns down calls from private equity firms looking to buy the company, and proudly notes that Jiffy has never laid off an employee in its history.
“You’d think that people would get it at this point,” he said. “We’re never going to sell. We’re never going to move away from the core of who we are.”
That core includes a no-frills business model. Jiffy doesn’t rely on flashy ads or marketing departments — just a trusted product and its iconic blue and white box.
“There’s never been a commercial, never been a print ad, and there never will be,” Holmes said. “Our packaging sells itself.”
Despite having state-of-the-art equipment at its Michigan factory, Chelsea Milling still uses some vintage machinery from the World War II era — proof that time-tested methods still work.
Holmes sees no reason to change what generations of Americans have loved: “I think we’d be foolish to move away from what people expect.”
