How a 60-year-old Peoria company stayed humble, executed a vision and built a legacy

PEORIA — Gerald Stephens founded Replacement Lens, Inc. in 1965. As the world's first insurer of contact lenses, predicting the Peoria company's longevity was difficult.

But the company has grown to encompass far more.

In the 60 years since its founding, the insurer — now known as RLI Corp. — became not just one of the world's leading contact lens insurers, but also one of Peoria's most lauded employers.

In January, Glassdoor named the company the ninth-best place to work in the U.S., and RLI consistently earns spots on “Top 10” lists, awarded for company culture and stability. 

While the company no longer offers contact lens insurance, RLI found a new vision in commercial property and liability insurance. Today, the company provides almost 40 kinds of casualty, property and surety coverage from its Peoria headquarters and 19 other office locations in cities including Chicago, Atlanta, Los Angeles and New York City.

But what makes the insurance giant stand out among thousands of others? RLI CEO Craig Kliethermes chalks it up to the quality of employees and a culture that helps them not just feel invested, but be invested. 

“People feel like they own a piece of the results and share the results,” Kliethermes said. “It gets them all focused and rowing in the right direction, the same direction.” 

Keeping humble roots in Peoria

Since its founding, RLI has grown from its headquarters on Lindbergh Drive to a presence in all 50 states.

But nearly 500 employees, or 40% of the company’s workforce, operate out of the Peoria location alone, a fact Kliethermes attributes to Midwest culture. Many of RLI’s employees grew up in farm communities and small towns, he said, and value the difference they make here. 

“We find that people here in the Midwest are hard-working people,” he said. “Some of them just want to stay local. They don’t want to have to go to a big city to get a job, and we’re a great home for those people.” 

Having employees from other cities travel into Peoria isn’t always easy, he said. But with the work ethic he sees in the Midwest, he doesn’t see RLI moving away anytime soon. The company completed a $20 million renovation of its headquarters in 2013 using local contractors. It dedicated itself to Peoria again in 2015, announcing another $15 million expansion.

“If you’re determined, if you’re trying to make a difference, if you’re willing to do the things other people aren’t willing to do," he said, "you can get far, and people will recognize that.” 

To keep employees involved across states, RLI uses what Kliethermes called a “new employee immersion program,” aiming to get employees to Peoria to meet senior leaders within the first six months of their employment. 

“They’re in a class with a lot of people that are spread out over the country," he said, "but I think in Peoria, they sense that common strand of the culture.” 

The CEO said he strives to keep customers and employees engaged no matter where RLI travels, aiming to maintain a presence that feels genuine and approachable. 

“We don’t want to create this, you know, huge gap, because I view this as everyone’s company,” he said. “I didn’t found this company, and every employee here has ownership in this company. It makes me feel obligated to try to answer their questions, because they’re all shareholders of our company.” 

More: Why former CEO has 'confidence' Caterpillar will be in Peoria for 'a very long time'

Chris Setti is the CEO of the Greater Peoria Economic Development Commission. Setti said where many people acknowledge Caterpillar as Peoria’s hallmark company, some do not realize RLI's stronghold in the city.

“The idea of being a specialty insurance company, you know, it’s really very cool, and to have that right here in Peoria is something that I think is just special,” he said. 

Setti said Peoria is a leader in central Illinois for having a cluster of insurance companies, from RLI to Illinois Mutual and Pearl Insurance. He said he includes RLI at the top of Peoria’s legacy companies, which make up the foundation of the city’s economic structure. This, in turn, draws other companies to eye Peoria for business. 

“If companies are making decisions about locations, they want to invest in companies that are being invested in, and they want to find evidence that other people have been able to be successful here,” he said. “So a company like RLI helps tell the story of the Peoria area.” 

'A living embodiment'

Where back in 1965 a broker may have met in person to reach a customer, adapting to the technological world now means sharing cell phone numbers and giving customers digital access. But Kliethermes said the pillars Stephens implemented when he founded the company — improvement, community and customer focus — are the same pillars RLI operates with 60 years later. 

That approach reaches far, and Kliethermes said he aims to create a “culture of entrepreneurship” where employees feel like their voice counts. RLI employees share ownership of the company through RLI’s employee stock ownership plan and encourages employees to act and feel like owners. 

Collectively, RLI employees hold about 9% of the company, and employees also receive health and wellness benefits, cash bonus opportunities and a company-funded 401k. For 2024, the median yearly compensation was around $138,000, communications director Renee Charles said in an email; this doesn’t include costs for training and educational courses, which RLI covers for most employees. 

“The biggest part of success, the engine of our successes are people who are a living embodiment of the culture that we value,” Kliethermes said. “They’re people that like our culture around ownership. They like to be sharing in the results of a successful company. They like making a difference. They care about the company they work for.” 

In addition to nods from Glassdoor and U.S. News & World Report, RLI has been recognized as an Elite 50 company by RISE Professionals, and is the only company to be named one of Ward’s 50 Top Performing Insurance Companies every year since its inception in 1991. 

“That’s a bottom-up exercise, it’s not a top-down thing,” Kliethermes said. “It’s people who just enjoy working with the other people and they feel like they’re learning something and adding to something. They’re actually making a difference in building, and making it better.” 

More: This Peoria-based company was named one of the top 10 places to work in 2025

Six decades of Peoria community

After 60 years in Peoria, Kliethermes said, his company is focused on giving back to the city that built it. RLI regularly hosts events in Peoria, from its Fall Family Fun Event last fall to partnerships with the Peoria Riverfront Museum to celebrate Peoria County’s bicentennial year and bring local students to the museum.

In addition to a matching gifts program, scholarships and employee volunteerism, Kliethermes said almost every RLI senior leader is on a board or commission in their local community. 

“I think we certainly outpunch our weight in regards to community service,” he said. “It’s just part of that culture of wanting to give back and wanting to make a difference, whether it be to your community to make it better or our company to make it better.” 

RLI also takes advantage of Illinois State University’s risk management and insurance program and often recruits students from Bradley University, hiring about 30 new interns and graduates each year who make their way to the top of the company. 

For Kliethermes, his own position as the company’s third CEO is a reminder of RLI’s commitment to stability. Kliethermes was named CEO and President in 2022, following a 20-year stint by Jonathan Michael and, before him, 39 years of leadership under Stephens. 

“There’s a longevity and tenure here that when people like it, they love it, and they tend to stay,” he said. “I’ve been here 19 years. We change and adapt, but it’s not revolutionary, it’s evolutionary. We’re always wanting to get better, but we’re not changing the products we offer.” 

Creating the kind of culture RLI has, he said, means putting his own ego aside, listening first, biting his tongue and recognizing diverse perspectives. 

“It’s easy for me to sit on high, you know, I’m insulated, and say, ‘Well, I think this is the right answer,’” he said. “We try to push the answers and the solutions as close to the customer, as close to where the problem exists as possible because those people are living the problem every day. If you’re closest to the problem, you’re probably closest to the solution.” 

Over the next decade, Kliethermes said, he’s looking forward to more growth, particularly when it comes to evolving with and investing in modern-day needs and technology. He also wants RLI to focus on connecting employees across the company’s locations, "building bridges across silos" to share information. 

“Obviously we'll get bigger over time, but I can’t tell you every year we’ll get bigger than the last year,” he said. “I want to get this thing set up for the next generation of people so that they can share in the same success that I’ve been a part of and continue to invest in this community so that we can continue to attract the best and the brightest around here. Getting more heads in the game has never hurt us, so we’re going to keep getting more bright people involved.” 

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: How a 60-year-old Peoria company stayed humble, executed a vision and built a legacy