XPO, Inc.
Company History
XPO History: Founding, Growth & Key Milestones
Founded 1989 in Buchanan, Michigan, United States
When was XPO founded?
XPO was founded in 1989 in Buchanan, Michigan, United States by Michael Welch and Keith Avery, making it 37 years old.
- Founded
- 1989
- Founding place
- Buchanan, Michigan, United States
- Founders
- Michael Welch and Keith Avery
- Headquarters today
- Greenwich, Connecticut, United States
- Milestones documented
- 11 (1989–2025)
- Current CEO
- Mario Harik
- Acquisitions
- 3
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1989 | Express-1 founded |
| 2004 | Segmentz acquires Express-1 |
| 2011 | XPO Logistics formed |
| 2013 | 3PD Acquired |
| 2014 | Pacer and New Breed Acquired |
| 2015 | Con-way and Norbert Dentressangle acquired |
| 2016 | Truckload Unit Sold |
| 2021 | GXO spinoff |
| 2022 | RXO spinoff |
| 2023 | Yellow service centers acquired |
| 2025 | Leadership transition |
- Where was XPO founded?
- XPO was founded in Buchanan, Michigan, United States in 1989. wikidata.org
- Who founded XPO?
- XPO was founded by Michael Welch and Keith Avery.
- When did XPO start?
- XPO was founded in 1989.
- How old is XPO?
- XPO is 37 years old as of 2026.
Founding Story
The company traces back to Express-1, an expedited trucking firm Michael Welch and Keith Avery co-founded in Michigan in 1989. Segmentz Inc. bought Express-1 in 2004 and took the name Express-1 Expedited Solutions in 2006. In September 2011 Brad Jacobs took control through an equity investment, moved the headquarters to Greenwich, Connecticut, and renamed it XPO Logistics.
Founders
Michael Welch
Michael Welch co-founded Express-1, an expedited ground carrier based in southwest Michigan, in 1989 and ran it as CEO. After Segmentz Inc. acquired Express-1 in 2004 he became president and later CEO of the combined company, which was renamed Express-1 Expedited Solutions in 2006 and became XPO Logistics in 2011. He died in 2019. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).
Keith Avery
Keith Avery co-founded Express-1 Expedited Solutions in 1989 (which Bradley Jacobs later acquired and aggressively transformed into XPO Logistics). Avery built the highly critical, foundational rapid-expedited trucking network that served as the initial, tiny base for Jacobs's absolutely massive, multi-billion dollar global acquisition spree. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).
Key Milestones
Express-1 founded
Michael Welch and Keith Avery co-founded the expedited carrier Express-1 in Michigan.
Source: freightwaves.comSegmentz acquires Express-1
Segmentz Inc. bought Express-1 and renamed itself Express-1 Expedited Solutions in 2006.
Source: freightwaves.comXPO Logistics formed
Brad Jacobs took control, became CEO and renamed the company XPO Logistics.
Source: en.wikipedia.org3PD Acquired
XPO Logistics bought the last-mile delivery company 3PD in 2013 for about $365 million.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgPacer and New Breed Acquired
XPO Logistics bought Pacer International and New Breed Logistics in 2014.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgCon-way and Norbert Dentressangle acquired
The two deals added the North American LTL network and a European platform.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgTruckload Unit Sold
XPO sold its North American truckload unit to TransForce in 2016 for about $558 million.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgRXO spinoff
Brokerage became RXO, Mario Harik became CEO and the company was renamed XPO, Inc.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgYellow service centers acquired
XPO bought 28 former Yellow service centers for $870 million.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgLeadership transition
Brad Jacobs stepped down as executive chairman on December 31, 2025; Mario Harik became chairman and CEO.
Source: news.xpo.comMajor Acquisitions
Norbert Dentressangle
2015Added a large European transportation and logistics platform.
Con-way
2015Added Con-way Freight's North American LTL network.
Yellow Corporation service centers (28 sites)
2023Added terminal capacity after Yellow's bankruptcy.
Keep researching XPO
XPO Company History FAQ
When, where, and how was XPO originally founded?
XPO traces its origins to 1989 in Buchanan, Michigan, when Michael Welch and Keith Avery co-founded Express-1, an expedited freight and logistics carrier.
How did Brad Jacobs take control of the company in 2011?
In September 2011, serial billionaire entrepreneur Brad Jacobs invested $150 million into Express-1 Expedited Solutions, took executive control as CEO, moved corporate headquarters to Greenwich, Connecticut, and renamed it XPO Logistics.
What was Brad Jacobs' aggressive roll-up acquisition strategy?
Between 2011 and 2015, Jacobs completed 18 major acquisitions totaling billions of dollars, transforming XPO from a tiny freight company into one of the top ten global logistics behemoths with over $17 billion in revenue.
What was the landmark acquisition of Con-way in 2015?
In October 2015, XPO acquired trucking giant Con-way for $3.0 billion, instantly securing one of North America's premier Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) terminal networks and freight operations.
Why did XPO split into three separate public companies?
Believing that conglomerate trading discounts depressed valuation, XPO spun off its contract logistics business as GXO Logistics (NYSE: GXO) in August 2021, and spun off its freight brokerage business as RXO (NYSE: RXO) in November 2022.
When did Mario Harik become CEO of XPO?
Mario Harik, longtime Chief Information Officer and President of North American LTL, became Chief Executive Officer of pure-play XPO in November 2022 upon the completion of the RXO spin-off.
What was the acquisition of Yellow Corporation terminals in December 2023?
Following the historic bankruptcy of trucking giant Yellow Corporation, XPO acquired 28 prime service centers for $870 million, adding roughly 3,000 freight terminal doors across North America.
What is XPO's operational focus today?
Today, XPO is a pure-play Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) freight transportation powerhouse operating 580+ service centers across North America and Europe, serving over 50,000 industrial and retail commercial shippers.
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