BUCHANAN – When U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., stopped by the logistics and transportation service company Express-1 in Buchanan last week, he talked about the progress made in eliminating the Michigan Business Tax (MBT).

“They knew the Michigan Business Tax had to go,” Upton said, giving credit to local state Reps. Al Pscholka and Sharon Tyler and state Sen. John Proos.  They were behind the fight, he said, of getting rid of the tax, which has been lamented by many businesses throughout the state.

The impact of the tax’s demise is starting to take effect on businesses like Express-1, according to co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Mike Welch.

“We’re just getting the relief right now,” Welch said. “When you have free cash you have to do something with it, right? You invest back into your company. It’s a big deal and it does affect jobs.”

With the MBT, Upton said, “there was an incentive to go somewhere other than Michigan … That was a great investment tool for Indiana until we eliminated it.”

He’s hoping all of that will change.

In Express-1’s case, their success seems to have led others to make an investment in the company.

An investment to the tune of $150 million.

The company announced last month that Bradley S. Jacobs, along with minority co-investors, would invest $150 million into the logistics business, making Jacobs the majority shareholder. He will assume the role of chairman of the board of directors as well as CEO.

Jacobs said in the company’s announcement that with this investment, he hopes to grow the company’s operations, building “a multi-billion dollar transportation brokerage business over the next several years. Express-1 is an ideal platform, with prominent positions in expedited services, freight brokerage and freight forwarding. I’m excited about leading the company into its next phase of growth.”

Jeff Curry, president of the company, said Jacobs took a good long look at the area when considering his investment, analyzing the cost of living in the Buchanan area and the workforce available.

Jacobs has said the future could hold between 200 and 300 new jobs for Express-1 within the two to three years.

Asked how realistic that job creation could be, Curry said, “I think it’s very realistic, because his plans are to take this investment of his and grow.”

Upton called Express-1’s recent news an “example of jobs being created through entrepreneurship. It’s just good news they’re here in southwest Michigan.”

The St. Joseph congressman had been on a visit to Express-1 once before, in January 2009.

At that time, Curry pointed out the company’s slogan at the time, a banner that said in bold, black letters, “Rising to the challenge.”

“This slogan,” Curry said back then, “probably means more to us this year than any slogan we’ve had in the past.”

Sharply rising gas prices and a near meltdown of the auto industry had hit the company, which expedites freight all over the country and internationally, where it hurts most.

But the company pulled through. Curry attributes surviving that particular time to a number of things.

“Part of it’s just the rebound of the economy,” he said.

The industries that utilize Express-1 and their fleet of trucks also experienced a bit of a culture shift as major auto builders tried to get back on their feet. Curry speculated more and more of those industry related companies are running on leaner inventory, rather than overflowing parts that sat still during the recession.

A leaner inventory means customers need more parts moved more often — and quickly.

“I think we did a couple of things right,” Curry said. “The good thing about the bad times of 2009 (is) we used that to our advantage.”

The company diversified its customer base, acquired salespeople who were out of work and who “really wanted to beat, really bad, the company they came from.” They secured more customers outside of the midwestern region they had saturated and grew their international business.

Each move kept the company from relying on just one specific market, such as the auto industry and helped fortify a promising future.

The opportunities are still there, Curry said.

“We’re working really hard on government, we’re working on pharmaceutical,” he said.

In addition to its main offices in Buchanan, Express-1 also has locations in Downer’s Grove, Ill., South Bend, Rochester Hills, Mich., Miami, Fla. and Tampa, Fla.