The History of Progressive Car Insurance

In 1937 the partners Jack Green and Joseph Lewis opened a new insurance company. Called the Progressive Mutual Insurance Company, the business was unique in that it was the first insurance company in the country to allow customers to pay their premiums in installments, a real boon for working people in depression-era America who probably couldn’t pay annual premiums. This was the beginning of the company we now know as Progressive Auto Insurance, Progressive Car Insurance or simply Progressive (commonly misspelled as "Progresive").

Progressive Auto Insurance expanded over the years and moved to new and larger offices in Cleveland, Ohio in the mid fifties. Joseph Lewis’ son Peter joined Progressive Car Insurance in 1955 after his father passed and eventually became the company’s CEO. More growth followed and Progressive Auto Insurance became the Progressive Corporation in the mid sixties.

Progressive prides itself on doing business differently from other insurance companies. Just like they were the first to accept installments on insurance premiums, they became the first to offer insurance specifically to high risk drivers. In the Nineties Progressive introduced a 24/7 claims response service and also became one of the first major insurance corporations to offer its services via the Internet. They were also the first to allow full service for customers on the Web, allowing customers to manage their policies, make payments and do anything related to their Progressive coverage that they may need.

As Progressive looks to the future they plan to continue doing business exactly the way they have since 1937; by innovating, originating, and staying one step ahead of their competition. It was this business philosophy that made Progressive the third largest auto insurer in the country and it’s a plan they intend to stay with.