The Progressive Corporation
Company History
Progressive History: Founding, Growth & Key Milestones
Founded 1937 in Cleveland, Ohio, United States
When was Progressive founded?
Progressive was founded in 1937 in Cleveland, Ohio, United States by Joseph Lewis and Jack Green, making it 89 years old.
- Founded
- 1937
- Founding place
- Cleveland, Ohio, United States
- Founders
- Joseph Lewis and Jack Green
- Headquarters today
- Mayfield Village, Ohio, United States
- Milestones documented
- 11 (1937–2026)
- Current CEO
- Tricia Griffith
- Acquisitions
- 4
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1937 | Progressive Mutual Insurance founded |
| 1965 | Peter B. Lewis becomes CEO |
| 1971 | Initial public offering |
| 1971 | Progressive IPO |
| 1997 | Auto policies sold online |
| 2008 | Snapshot and Flo |
| 2015 | Controlling stake in ARX/ASI |
| 2016 | Tricia Griffith becomes CEO |
| 2021 | Protective Insurance acquired |
| 2025 | Record year |
| 2026 | Leadership transitions and slowing growth |
- Where was Progressive founded?
- Progressive was founded in Cleveland, Ohio, United States in 1937.
- Who founded Progressive?
- Progressive was founded by Joseph Lewis and Jack Green.
- When did Progressive start?
- Progressive was founded in 1937.
- How old is Progressive?
- Progressive is 89 years old as of 2026.
Founding Story
Lawyers Joseph Lewis and Jack Green founded Progressive Mutual Insurance Company in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1937. The young company competed on service ideas such as drive-in claims offices and installment payments, and in the 1950s it moved into insuring higher-risk drivers that many insurers declined. Pricing that non-standard market profitably required careful risk segmentation, a discipline that became central to the company. Joseph's son Peter B. Lewis ran Progressive from 1965 to 2000 and turned it into a national, data-driven auto insurer.
Founders
Joseph Lewis
Joseph Lewis co-founded Progressive Mutual Insurance Company in Cleveland in 1937 with fellow lawyer Jack Green. The early company differentiated itself with service ideas such as drive-in claims and installment premium payments. His son, Peter B. Lewis, later led Progressive from 1965 to 2000. Joseph Lewis was born in 1890.
Jack Green
Jack Green co-founded Progressive Insurance in 1937 alongside Joseph Lewis. Recognizing a massive, highly lucrative gap in the traditional insurance market, the two lawyers intentionally targeted 'non-standard' drivers (people with terrible driving records who other companies refused to insure). By properly pricing the massive risk, they created the foundation for one of America's largest insurers. Jack Green was born in 1910.
Key Milestones
Progressive Mutual Insurance founded
Lawyers Joseph Lewis and Jack Green found Progressive Mutual Insurance Company in Cleveland, Ohio.
Source: sec.govPeter B. Lewis becomes CEO
Peter Lewis, son of Joseph Lewis, takes control and begins building Progressive into a national auto insurer; he leads until 2000.
Source: sec.govInitial public offering
The Progressive Corporation goes public; its shares later list on the NYSE under PGR.
Source: sec.govAuto policies sold online
Progressive becomes one of the first insurers to let consumers buy auto policies online.
Source: sec.govSnapshot and Flo
Progressive launches Snapshot usage-based insurance and introduces the Flo advertising character played by Stephanie Courtney.
Source: sec.govControlling stake in ARX/ASI
Progressive pays about $875 million to take a roughly 67% stake in ARX Holding, parent of homeowners insurer ASI.
Source: sec.govTricia Griffith becomes CEO
Griffith, who joined as a claims representative in 1988, becomes President and CEO in July 2016.
Source: sec.govProtective Insurance acquired
Progressive buys Protective Insurance Corporation for about $338 million to expand trucking and fleet coverage.
Source: sec.govRecord year
Revenue reaches $87.671 billion and net income $11.308 billion; Progressive records a $1.224 billion policyholder credit expense, mainly for Florida excess-profit refunds.
Source: sec.govLeadership transitions and slowing growth
Andrew Quigg succeeds John Sauerland as CFO, Pat Callahan announces his retirement as Personal Lines President effective January 2027, and monthly combined ratios rise into the high 80s.
Source: investors.progressive.comMajor Acquisitions
ARX Holding Corp. / ASI
2015Progressive paid about $875 million to raise its stake in ARX Holding Corp., parent of homeowners insurer American Strategic Insurance (ASI), from about 5% (held since 2012) to roughly 67% control, completed April 1, 2015.
Protective Insurance Corporation
2021Progressive acquired Protective Insurance Corporation for $23.30 per share, about $338 million total, completed June 1, 2021, to expand its commercial lines products, particularly in transportation and trucking insurance.
ARX Holding Corp.
2015Controlling interest to bolster homeowners insurance market presence.
Blue Hill Specialty Insurance Company Inc.
Expand specialty insurance capabilities.
Keep researching Progressive
Progressive Company History FAQ
What are the major milestones in the history of The Progressive Corporation?
Key milestones include its 1937 founding in Cleveland, Peter B. Lewis becoming CEO in 1965, the 1971 IPO, online policy sales in 1997, Snapshot and the Flo campaign in 2008, the ASI homeowners deal in 2015, Tricia Griffith becoming CEO in 2016, the Protective Insurance acquisition in 2021, and $87.7 billion of revenue in 2025.
How did Progressive pioneer 24/7 Immediate Response Claims in the 1990s?
In 1993, Progressive introduced a fleet of specially equipped 'Immediate Response' claims vehicles driven by adjusters who traveled directly to accident scenes or policyholders' homes to inspect damaged cars, issue repair checks on the spot, and arrange rental cars 24 hours a day.
How did Progressive become a pioneer of internet e-commerce in 1997?
In 1997, Progressive became the first auto insurance company in the world to allow consumers to quote and purchase an auto insurance policy directly online over the World Wide Web, fundamentally transforming how insurance is bought.
What was the genesis and impact of the 'Flo' advertising campaign launched in 2008?
Created by advertising agency Arnold Worldwide in 2008, the 'Flo' character (portrayed by Stephanie Courtney) presented insurance in a cheerful, modern, 'superstore' retail environment, propelling Progressive to large brand awareness and billions in new policy sales over nearly two decades.
How did Progressive invent usage-based insurance (UBI) with Snapshot?
Beginning with early research in 1998 (Autograph) and TripSense in 2004, Progressive launched 'Snapshot' in 2008, the first widespread telematics program allowing drivers to plug a device into their vehicle's OBD-II port (and later via mobile app) to receive personalized rates based on actual driving behavior.
How did Progressive handle the 2008 financial crisis and the 2020 pandemic?
Progressive stayed profitable on an underwriting basis through 2008. In 2020, as driving fell during the pandemic, it returned about $1 billion to personal auto customers through its Apron Relief credits.
When did Progressive surpass GEICO to become America's second-largest auto insurer?
Industry rankings based on direct premiums written placed Progressive ahead of GEICO as the second-largest U.S. private passenger auto insurer, behind State Farm, after Progressive grew faster through 2023 and 2024.
What is Progressive's strategic roadmap for the future of personal and commercial insurance?
Progressive's future roadmap focuses on expanding connected-car OEM telematics, scaling automated AI-assisted claims estimating, dominating commercial fleet and gig-economy insurance, and driving deeper home-and-auto bundling penetration across the United States.
When and where was Progressive founded?
Progressive was founded on March 10, 1937, in Cleveland, Ohio, by young attorneys Joseph Lewis and Jack Green as Progressive Mutual Insurance Company.
What was Progressive’s original market breakthrough?
Progressive found its initial niche by underwriting "non-standard" auto insurance—providing vehicle coverage to higher-risk drivers who were routinely rejected by conventional insurance carriers.
Who was Peter B. Lewis and how did he transform Progressive?
Peter B. Lewis, son of co-founder Joseph Lewis, took over leadership in 1965 and served as CEO until 2000; he transformed Progressive into a national powerhouse by emphasizing rigorous underwriting data, employee empowerment, and bold customer service innovation.
When did Progressive become a publicly traded company?
Progressive completed its initial public offering (IPO) in 1971, listing shares under the ticker symbol PGR and adopting a disciplined focus on maintaining an underwriting combined ratio of 96% or better.
When did Progressive pioneer direct auto insurance quoting?
In 1994, Progressive launched 1-800-AUTO-INFO, the industry’s first direct telephone quote comparison service, and in 1995 became the first auto insurer to launch a website offering online quotes and policy purchases.
How did Progressive pioneer telematics with Snapshot?
Beginning in 1998 with its Autograph pilot and evolving into the Snapshot program in 2008, Progressive was the first major US auto insurer to introduce usage-based insurance (UBI), basing premiums on actual driving habits and mileage.
When was Progressive’s iconic "Flo" advertising campaign launched?
The character Flo (portrayed by actress Stephanie Courtney) debuted in 2008, creating one of the most recognizable and enduring advertising campaigns in modern corporate history and driving massive direct-to-consumer auto policy growth.
How did Progressive expand into homeowners insurance?
In 2015, Progressive acquired a majority controlling interest in ARX Holding Corp. (parent of American Strategic Insurance / ASI), enabling Progressive to offer bundled auto and home policies to compete directly with State Farm and Allstate.
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