Lewis took the helm of his father’s small insurance business in the mid sixties when it was the 48th largest insurer in the nation. Over the course of the next two decades, Lewis built Progressive into one of the leading insurers in the nation – on par with State Farm and Allstate – by tapping into a market segment that was considered uninsurable. By marketing to high risk drivers, Lewis was able to separate his company from others, and in so doing, he was able to charge higher premiums. Lewis invested heavily in technology to accurately assess the risk trade-offs associated with nonstandard policy holders. Over time, Lewis expanded the operations of the business to include a full line of insurance products.