Viewpoint: Singing praises for the ‘unsung hero,’ Keith Avery of Express-1

This commentary was written by Andy Welch, ad operations specialist for FLYING Magazine, which is owned by FreightWaves CEO Craig Fuller. The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of FreightWaves or its affiliates.

By Andy Welch

It is amazing to me how one thing, like your first car, can somehow symbolize and connect the dots of your life story. This story starts with a revelation and a Chevy S-10 pickup.

Most in the logistics world have heard how three Welch brothers — Mike, John and Jim — and Keith Avery started a small expediting company, Express-1, in 1989. The idea was simple: deliver goods quickly to people for a premium instead of making them wait. Expedited freight wasn’t the norm at the time and they saw a need for this service. So they jumped in to fill the void, delivering products in an S-10 pickup. 

That truck later became my first car. By then, they no longer needed it, of course, as they had created a universe with their company Express-1, now known as XPO Logistics — and they had plenty of trucks.

I can honestly say that as a kid I didn’t respect the family business as much as I do now. It took a lot of hard lessons and personal struggles to land where I did, when I did, to fully understand the grasp of what had been created.

In 2017, I got an offer to work for a startup brokerage in southwest Michigan, co-founded by my uncle Mike, who was president of Magnate Worldwide at the time. My dad and Keith were investors and co-workers at the company. Some might call it nepotism, but I am forever grateful for the experience. I was finally able to work with the visionaries and entrepreneurs that I grew up with.

Today, I write this in recognition and admiration of both my uncle Mike and Keith, their achievements in the logistics industry and the bonds they formed during their professional careers. 

I now work for Craig Fuller, the founder of FreightWaves and owner and CEO of FLYING Media Group. Craig worked closely with my family in the early 2000s, when Craig was an employee at his family business, U.S. Xpress. On behalf of the Welch family, thank you, Craig, for publishing this tribute.

Here is an excerpt from a letter written by my dad and uncle John, honoring my late uncle Mike Welch and his longtime business partner and friend, Keith Avery:

“History has given us many unsung heroes, who by definition do great deeds but receive or desire little recognition for themselves. 

“A great example of this is Buzz Aldrin. Aldrin piloted Apollo 11 tirelessly in the background, while Neil Armstrong got the recognition of being the first man on the moon. While Armstrong and Aldrin worked together professionally, it is very rare when the ‘unsung hero’ is best friends through life with the face of the success story.

“Keith Avery was that unsung hero for Express-1. 

“In the early years of the company, the blood, sweat and tears it took to build the business came from Keith and our late brother, Mike Welch. Keith and Mike were inseparable, lifelong friends who first met in kindergarten. They hung out together, played sports together and developed the same group of lifelong friends. 

“Mike was charismatic, the visionary and the face of the company, while Keith managed the hectic day-to-day operations of the business in the background. Keith was the one who calmly and efficiently executed the vision. He was the ‘guts and glue’ of the company who held it together during the tough times and even talked Mike out of giving up the dream more than once. 

“Keith took special pride working alongside his childhood friend and giving back to the community without regard for himself. They served on local boards, were involved with many fundraising efforts, supported youth sports and community colleges, and through their efforts, they positively impacted the lives of thousands of people in southwest Michigan and beyond. There they were, the face of the company and the unsung hero, working together, as always, helping people and enjoying the life that they built.”

The logistics world lost a hero in 2019 when my uncle Mike passed. Now, sadly, there is an unsung hero currently at the end of his life, suffering from the same cancer — a glioblastoma — that took my uncle. And we, as a family, want to give our sincere gratitude to Keith and thank him for his humility, kindness, humor and love.But, Keith, I want you to know something. In my story, you are my hero, and definitely not unsung. Only you and I truly understand our friendship, and it’s one I will cherish forever. Here’s to you, our friend. I love you, man.

(Also, don’t be mad at me for blasting you all over the internet and bragging about how cool you are.)

Source: freightwaves - Viewpoint: Singing praises for the ‘unsung hero,’ Keith Avery of Express-1
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