On March 10, 1937, Joseph Lewis and Jack Green started Progressive Mutual Insurance Company as an investment opportunity for a couple young lawyers. Progressive's consistent growth from the time that the company was founded, which resulted in the decision to become a public company in 1971. Three years later, Progressive moved its headquarters to a Cleveland suburb, Mayfield Village. In 1987, Progressive surpassed over $1 billion in premiums. As it stands today, Progressive is one of the largest car insurance companies in the country. Between the years of 1996 and 2005, Progressive grew an average of 17% a year, to move from $3.4 billion to $14 billion in premiums. The company has also expanded internationally, even selling car insurance in Australia. The company supports over 27,000 employees.