Progressive's history: 1937 – Today

Our history

Our story started in 1937

Progressive's success is built on the foundation of two guys from Cleveland. Joseph Lewis and Jack Green saw an opportunity to offer something that no one else was: basic insurance that anyone could afford.

Key moments in Progressive's history

From 1937 to today, Progressive has often been the first to innovate new solutions for our customers.

1937 - 2025

1937

Founded by Joseph Lewis and Jack Green

1965

Peter B. Lewis becomes CEO, prioritizing fair profit and rates

1993

First to offer comparison rates and the ability to buy on the phone

1995

First insurance company to launch a website

1997

Progressive enters the S&P 500

2004

Later to become Snapshot®, our first usage-based insurance product launches

2008

Flo and the Superstore campaign debuts

2009

Our Name Your Price® program launches, the first among auto carriers

2016

Current CEO Tricia Griffith takes the helm

2017

Dr. Rick debuts with the Parentamorphosis campaign

2021

25 million policies in force

2025

Customers can quote and buy auto insurance in Spanish

Our history by decade

Explore Progressive's role as an early innovator in the insurance space through technology breakthroughs, major achievements, and important moments for the brand.

2020s

We exist to help people move forward and live fully.

2025

  • Progressive launches Open the House, a multi-year initiative advancing homeownership affordability and education. Open the House provides financial support and resources to help more people buy a home, sustain a home, and build wealth along the way. It's all part of our mission to open doors for future homeowners and strengthen communities.
  • We're among the first insurers to provide consumers a way to quote and buy auto insurance online in Spanish across the U.S. This includes offering limited Spanish website content and online policy servicing in Spanish.
  • Progressive begins underwriting its own pet insurance for dogs and cats, administered by Companion Protect. The exciting new product builds on our 15+ years offering pet insurance through Pets Best.

2024

  • Progressive launches Accident Response to customers as a feature of our mobile app. The feature can detect when a customer using the app may have been in a major accident and reach out to see if help is needed.
  • Progressive announces its purpose, "We exist to help people move forward and live fully." This statement elevates and amplifies our long-standing efforts to drive meaningful and tangible progress on the road, in the home, in business, and for our communities.
  • We launched Progressive Vehicle Protection as an affordable alternative to extended vehicle warranties — one of the first of its kind to be offered by a major insurance carrier. Progressive Vehicle Protection can be added to qualifying customers' auto policies to protect new cars from major system issues, minor dents and dings, and key/fob replacement.
  • Progressive begins offering volunteer time off (VTO) to encourage employees to give back to their communities. Certain employees receive a bank of hours to volunteer at a charitable organization of their choosing on company time.

2023

  • Progressive reaches 25 years of usage-based insurance innovation via Snapshot, which provides some customers with a discount at signup and a rate based on their driving habits.
  • Expanding our efforts in the homelessness space, we developed a corporate relationship with Family Promise, a leading U.S. nonprofit organization focused on family homelessness. Family Promise's network of affiliates across the U.S. allows us to engage Progressive employees countrywide in this meaningful work.

2022

  • Progressive celebrates the 10-year anniversary of the Keys to Progress® program with more than 900 vehicles provided to veterans and military-related organizations since 2013.
  • Progressive launches Progressive Life Insurance, a 100% online term life insurance policy with a unique "flexible" option. The policy lets customers increase coverage within the first 10 years without needing to reapply. They can also decrease coverage and/or freeze their health status, meaning there's no need for a new medical exam if they change their coverage. Plus, customers can cancel any time, creating a truly customizable and adjustable term life insurance product.

2021

  • Progressive acquires Protective Insurance Corporation, a steadfast member of the transportation insurance community since 1930, integrating it with the Progressive Commercial Lines business [FL20.1]and eventually updating the Protective brand name to Progressive Fleet.
  • We surpass 25 million policies in force companywide.

2020

  • We announce a partnership with Humble Design, bringing the Detroit-based nonprofit to Cleveland. Humble Design furnishes homes in the area for individuals, families, and veterans emerging from homelessness, using donated furniture and goods to transform houses into warm, welcoming, and uplifting homes.

For me, "moving forward and living fully" means measurable progress toward a more promising future and helping our customers and our communities live the truest, most full expression of their lives.

Tricia Griffith

President & Chief Executive Officer

2010s

Flo is named an icon, Dr. Rick enters the scene, and Progressive stays true to our name with customer-focused innovation.

2018

  • We make shopping online for bundled auto and homeowners policies easier and faster by integrating HomeQuote Explorer with our direct auto quoting experience.

2017

  • Progressive becomes the first insurer to offer a voice action on Google Home.

  • Flo Chatbot debuts, making Progressive the first major insurer to give consumers the ability to quote an auto policy via Facebook Messenger. We also launch our multiple home quoting platform with HomeQuote Explorer®.

  • Progressive launches the funny-because-it's-true Parentamorphosis campaign targeting new/young homeowners who find themselves turning into their parents after buying their first home. Dr. Rick first appeared in October 2017 and is now a staple character helping young homeowners save money on insurance. The campaign has been acknowledged with industry and creative awards over the years, including several Cannes Lions awards. It most recently received a Gold Effie for Sustained Success.

2016

  • We give customers a new choice in the claim process — the option to submit their vehicle damage photos to us via our mobile app to get a claim estimate.
  • New CEO Tricia Griffith is named and later establishes the company's "True to our name. Progressive." purpose statement for employees, to encourage innovation, focus on customer service, and expand beyond auto insurance by moving into the home insurance market.

2014

  • After an extensive search, we find a homeowners insurance company that aligns with both our culture and business goals. We secure a controlling interest investment in American Strategic Insurance (ASI).

2013

  • Progressive launches Keys to Progress®, which provides vehicles to veterans and veteran-related organizations that continues today.

2012

2011

  • We rebrand our usage-based insurance program to Snapshot®, rewarding customers with lower rates for safe driving behaviors.

2010

  • We're the first major U.S. car insurer to release an Android app just for car insurance.

2000s

We introduce the Name Your Price tool to car insurance customers, and we name the home of Cleveland's professional baseball team.

2009

  • We're the first auto carrier to offer a Name Your Price® option during policy quoting, which makes it easier to shop for car insurance.
  • We also introduce a new technology on our website — an option for customers to chat online with service representatives.

2008

  • Flo and the Superstore debuts. "Wow! I say it louder." And with one phrase our brand icon and a pop-culture phenomenon is born.
  • We further evolve our usage-based insurance program to MyRate, an innovative way to price car insurance that lets drivers get a customized rate based on how they actually drive.

2007

  • We become the first insurance company to offer Pet Injury coverage, which covers dogs and cats if they're hurt when you're in a car accident.
  • We secure naming rights to Cleveland's professional baseball stadium, now called Progressive Field and home of the Guardians, and get the Progressive brand in front of millions of baseball fans a year.
  • We launch the industry's first Web 2.0 site, featuring easier navigation, more personalization and customization, easier-to-use video content, and more visuals throughout.

2005

  • We become the first major auto insurance group in the U.S. to connect with consumers using "Talk to Me," a Voice Over Internet Protocol tool.

2004

  • We pilot TripSense®, a usage-based insurance program to research driving habits, to Minnesota consumers. We also introduce Drive® Insurance from Progressive — a new brand of insurance developed expressly for independent agents and brokers and their customers, which was later discontinued in 2007.

2003

  • Living up to our Core Value of Integrity, we offer transparency in the market by becoming the first major insurance carrier to release monthly financial results.
  • We begin selling the first-ever insurance policies for owners of Segway® Human Transporters, the self-balancing and emissions-free transportation devices.
  • We also introduce Service Centers for claims, offering one-stop, concierge-level service and convenience to customers.

2002

  • We launch the unique Rate Ticker, which provides an up-to-the-minute sampling of comparison rates to see Progressive Direct's rate and rates from the country's top auto insurance companies.

2001

  • We become the first publicly held company to report underwriting results monthly.

2000

  • New CEO Glenn Renwick challenges the company to offer Virtually Perfect Service, and to evolve our customers from insurance consumers to brand promoters and the idea launches the following year.
  • We are the first auto insurance group to offer instant online quotes for RV insurance.
  • We also become the first insurance company to introduce a Wireless Application Protocol, which allows consumers to access information about the company, find an independent agent/broker, and more by using their web-enabled PDA or cell phone, and become the first auto insurance group to receive a wireless payment from a customer using these devices.

1990s

Progressive sets the standard with immediate claims response, toll-free comparison rating, and online insurance buying.

1999

  • We become the first insurance group to offer instant online quotes for motorcycle, boat, and watercraft insurance, and in the following year, provide the opportunity to buy online.

1998

  • We're recognized for having the industry's most comprehensive and easiest-to-use auto insurance customer service site. The site lets customers make payments, track claims information, and modify policy information.

1997

  • We become the first insurer to give consumers the ability to buy (not just quote) an auto insurance policy in real time online and start earning industry awards for our site design and customer experience.

1996

  • We begin offering limited online policy access and quoting. We also introduce the use of consumers' credit histories in developing more accurate policy premium.

1995

  • We become the first auto insurance group to launch a website, auto-insurance.com. Two years later, the site becomes progressive.com. We're the first major insurance company to offer an online agent referral service.

1994

  • We experience growth through our efforts to expand into standard markets and reach the ranking of the seventh-largest insurer. Our first Immediate Response vehicles start hitting the road as part of our immediate response claims strategy.
  • We also introduce 1-800-AUTO-PRO, the industry's first toll-free, 24/7 auto insurance comparison rating service, making it the only company to give consumers a Progressive quote and the rates of up to three other top auto insurance companies.

1993

  • We become the first auto insurance company to offer comparison rates and the option to buy by phone. We also began offering 24/7 customer service. After 10 years of research and experimentation in select markets, we introduce a product model that rates all auto owners and operators in nonstandard and standard markets.

1992

  • With our new customer-driven strategy, we earn the spot as the number one seller among independent agents.*

1990

  • Progressive sets a new industry standard for claims service by offering immediate response capability to auto customers. We deliver claims service anytime, anywhere, 24/7, with the goal of providing a fast, fair, empathetic, and personal response to claim reports.

Progressive is at its best imagining the unimaginable and doing the impossible. We will create an auto insurance experience that exceeds consumers' highest expectations.

Peter B. Lewis

1990 Annual Report Letter to Shareholders

1980s

Progressive shifts from agent-centric to customer-focused.

Image of Peter Lewis

1988

California voters pass Proposition 103 in protest of high auto insurance rates. Peter B. Lewis sees this as a wake-up call and sets forth a new social, and business, mission: reducing the human trauma and economic costs of auto accidents. He calls for an industrywide effort to help people see that you get what you pay for when you use your coverage and help them understand that safer driving can reduce the financial burden on everyone.

We shift focus from being an agent-centric company to building a leading consumer brand.

1987

Peter B. Lewis and his management team introduce Progressive's Core Values, which remain nearly unchanged to this day.

1970s

We go public with Progressive stock, set earnings goals that still stand today, and move to our current home of Mayfield Village, Ohio.

1979

  • Progressive On-line Transaction Enquiry and Update System (PROTEUS) launches for data processing; this investment in technology brings productivity gains, makes operations more efficient, and enables us to handle growth and improve service.

1977

  • We're the first auto insurance company to publish its loss reserve report — providing full disclosure of how we establish and validate loss reserves.

1974

  • We move from downtown Cleveland to our new headquarters in Mayfield Village, Ohio. With the move, we buy our first pieces of original art to display. This is the start of the Progressive Art Collection, supporting stimulating workspaces and creative thinking.

1971

  • We hold our first public offering of Progressive stock and begin our stated objective of a 96 combined ratio (which means we earn 4 cents of profit on every premium dollar taken in). We begin offering motor home and commercial lines policies.

1950s-60s

Progressive rewards safe drivers, and Peter B. Lewis becomes CEO.

1965

  • The Progressive Corporation is founded and Peter B. Lewis takes over as CEO. A new company philosophy rejects industry groupthink that only corporate investments can be relied on for profit. Progressive prefers underwriting profit to growth and paves its own road setting rates for a fair profit, even if it means drivers will sometimes choose lower-priced insurers.

1964

  • We become the first in Ohio, and one of few nationwide, to offer a payment plan to nonstandard auto policyholders. The same year, we start insuring products other than autos — motorcycles, motor scooters, and motorbikes.

1956

  • Progressive Casualty Insurance Company is founded to be the first specialty underwriters of nonstandard insurance. At the time we had 40 employees and $2.6 million in written premium. We also launch our Safe Driver Plan, in Ohio, by offering low rates to drivers without accidents, and set an industry policy standard.

1930s

Joseph Lewis and Jack Green found Progressive.

Grayscale photo of cleveland public square

1937

On March 10, 1937, Joseph Lewis and Jack Green started Progressive Mutual Insurance Company. They wanted to provide vehicle owners with security and protection, and they thought an insurance company was a good investment for a couple of lawyers who were just getting started. Their business philosophy was to approach auto insurance in an innovative way — like no other company had.

Progressive opens its doors for business and introduces the industry's first drive-in claims location.

What makes us Progressive

Discover more of what we do — all in the name of progress