Progressive began in 1937, and over the years, they have worked hard to build a superior proposition for auto insurance consumers through competitive pricing and by continuously improving our products and services. Today, we offer competitive rates and 24-hour, in-person and online services to all drivers throughout the United States.
Today, Progressive customers can purchase auto insurance directly from them online or by phone, or they can purchase from independent insurance agents. Prices vary based on how our customers choose to buy.
Tricia Griffith, president and chief executive officer since July 2016, leads Progressive in their quest to become U.S. consumers' #1 choice for auto insurance.
Headquartered in the Cleveland suburb of Mayfield Village, Ohio, Progressive has more than 33,000 employees in almost 400 offices throughout the country. Progressive people enjoy a casual dress code and a unique work environment where all are required to risk, learn, grow and perform. Progressive's larger locations house one of the country's largest, most eclectic contemporary art collections.
The common shares of the Progressive Corporation are publicly traded at NYSE:PGR.
Progressive's vision is to reduce the human trauma and economic costs associated with automobile accidents. We do this by providing our customers with services designed to help them get their lives back in order again as quickly as possible.
Integrity
Progressive revere honesty. They adhere to high ethical standards, provide timely, accurate and complete financial reporting, encourage disclosing bad news and welcome disagreement.
Golden Rule
Progressive respects all people, value the differences among them and deal with them in the way they want to be dealt with.
Objectives
Progressive strives to communicate clearly Progressive's ambitious objectives and our people's personal and team objectives. We evaluate performance against all these objectives.
Excellence
Progresive strives constantly to improve in order to meet and exceed the highest expectations of our customers, agents, shareholders, and people. They teach and encourage their people to improve performance and to reduce the costs of what they do for customers. We base their rewards on results and promotion on ability.
Profit
Progressive seeks to earn a profit by offering consumers products and services they want. Profit is how the free-enterprise system motivates investment and rewards companies that consistently create value.
How Progressive Began
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.
Since its beginning, Progressive has taken an innovative approach to auto insurance. We offered drive-in claims service before any other auto insurance company, and, in another industry first, we allowed customers to pay their premiums in installments — an appealing option for those who couldn't afford annual payments. Progressive wanted — and still wants — to make auto insurance accessible and easy so more people could protect their vehicles.
By 1951, Progressive's growth prompted a move to new offices in downtown Cleveland. In 1955, Jack Green became CEO after the death of Joe Lewis, and Peter Lewis, Joe's son, began his career with Progressive. Peter immediately began looking for ways to distinguish the company from its competitors. In 1956, Progressive Casualty Company was formed to write auto insurance for high-risk drivers. Today, the company insures all types of drivers.
More growth and expansion in the 1960s brought about the formation of The Progressive Corporation. In 1965, Peter Lewis assumed the title of CEO, a position he held for 35 years until he turned the reins over to Glenn Renwick in 2000. Glenn then passed the leadership torch to Tricia Griffith, current CEO and President, in 2016.
Growth and Innovation
Progressive's steady growth continued through the years, which helped fuel the decision to become a public company in 1971. Three years later, in 1974, Progressive moved its headquarters to the Cleveland suburb of Mayfield Village.
The next two decades saw steady growth for the company, and in 1987, Progressive surpassed $1 billion in premiums. That same year, the New York Stock Exchange listed Progressive stock under the PGR symbol.
Progressive's business philosophy was to approach auto insurance in an innovative way — like no other company had. From that mindset came the following industry standards and achievements:
- In 1990, we introduced Immediate Response® claims service, available 24/7, to provide customers with personal service and support immediately after they reported a claim.
- In 1992, Progressive was recognized as the largest seller of auto insurance through independent insurance agents.
- In 1994, Progressive surpassed $2 billion in written premium.
- Also in 1994, we introduced 1-800-AUTO-PRO, a cutting-edge auto insurance rate comparison shopping service. Consumers no longer had to call several companies to compare auto insurance rates — in one phone call to 1-800-AUTO-PRO, they'd receive a Progressive quote and comparison rates for up to three competitors. Plus, if customers wanted to buy fromProgressive, they could purchase an insurance policy directly and immediately on the phone. Today, this service is available by dialing 1-800-PROGRESSIVE (1-800-776-4737).
- Another industry first in 1994 was the introduction of the Immediate Response® Vehicle (IRV), a specially marked and outfitted vehicle that brought trained claims professionals to wherever customers needed them — even to the scene of an accident.
In the early 2000s, Progressive changed its claims focus to provide a better overall experience for every party involved in a claim, including the customer and the body shop. This focus helped us launch our concierge level of claims service — another industry first — in 2003. With this level of service, Progressive oversees all elements of the claims/repair process on behalf of drivers involved in accidents, which reduces the time drivers spend managing repairs from about four days to 15 minutes. Customers simply drop off their cars at a claims service center, located in select markets, and pick them up once the repairs are complete —Progressive takes care of everything in between.
In 2006, Progressive expanded its concierge level of claims service to address the special needs of drivers whose vehicles were totaled in an accident or other claim. Our Total Loss Concierge service helped customers find a replacement vehicle at a competitive price. That service has evolved into the Progressive Car Shopping Service by TrueCar®. This service makes car shopping easy and offers: real pricing on cars (not estimates), the ability to see what others paid for new cars, and the potential to save thousands off MSRP* on new vehicles. Available in most locations.
Currently, Progressive is one of the largest auto insurance groups in the United States, thanks to innovations including comparison rates and 24/7 customer and claims service. Our growth continues at a steady pace, too: Between 1996 and 2005,Progressive grew an average of 17 percent per year, from $3.4 billion to $14 billion.
Online Insurance and Beyond
In 1995, when the Internet was just gaining popularity, Progressive stepped ahead of the competition and became the first major auto insurer in the world to launch a Web site. The site was primarily informational, but it soon became more interactive. By 1996, consumers could obtain comparison rates online, and by 1997, they could buy auto insurance policies online in real time.
The site has continually evolved with technology, and today, customers can use the following features, 24/7, on Progressive's Web sites:
- Policy Service and Management — Policyholders can log in to update information, make payments, get vehicle recall information and more.
- Online Claims Reporting — Policyholders can log in to report auto accidents and glass claims in minutes. For glass claims, you can show us what type of glass damage occurred using our unique visual reporting tool. For claims other than glass, you may even have the option to schedule an appointment at a claims service center or a network repair shop when you report your claim.
- Rate Ticker — Our scrolling rate ticker displays actual Progressive Direct auto insurance rates side-by-side with those of other top auto insurers.
- Agent Locator — If you prefer to buy insurance through an agent, you can search for local independent insurance agents by entering your ZIP code or by selecting the type of insurance you'd like to buy.
- Talk to Me — Our online customer service feature uses Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology to allow online shoppers who have questions about their Progressive Direct auto insurance quote to click on an icon and talk to a representative over the Internet or have a representative call them directly.
- Instant Quotes — Whether you want to purchase online or through an agent, you can receive online insurance quotes for your vehicles. Prices vary based on how our customers choose to buy.
And that's not all. With Progressive, you can insure more than just your car — we offer insurance policies for motorcycles, boats/PWC, RVs, business vehicles, snowmobiles and Segway® HTs. We can also assist in helping you find homeowners insurance.