SouthGroup Insurance Services

09/29/2025

Join us in wishing Mr. Neil Thames a very happy birthday! 🎉 SouthGroup is grateful for his dedication and the wealth of knowledge he has shared throughout more than 50 years in the insurance industry.

09/19/2025

Happy Birthday to “Coach” Rodney Sims! Y’all wish him a happy birthday this weekend while he’s cheering on his MS State Bulldogs!

08/11/2025

SouthGroup Insurance Services of Laurel is pleased to announce that Bryce Shoemake has joined the company as its newest associate. He will be based out of SouthGroup’s Laurel office serving as a licensed Property & Casualty Insurance Producer specializing in commercial and personal insurance in addition to life, health and employee benefits. Bryce is a lifelong member of the Laurel-Jones County community as a graduate of Laurel Christian School, Jones College, and The University of Southern Mississippi. He is married to Dixie Shoemake and is an active member of Franklin Methodist Church. Welcome to the team, Bryce!

02/20/2025

02/14/2025

Check out SouthGroup's star Golden Tornado. Way to go Andrew! Glad to have you on our team!

🎓 Alumni Spotlight: Andrew Ousley

📍 Hometown: Laurel, MS
🎓 LHS Graduation Year: 2006 (Salutatorian)

Meet Andrew Ousley, a proud Laurel High School graduate from the Class of 2006. During his time at LHS, Andrew was actively involved in soccer, tennis, baseball, Key Club, and drama. His dedication to academics and extracurricular activities earned him the honor of being the Salutatorian of his graduating class.

After high school, Andrew pursued higher education at the University of Mississippi and later at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, earning degrees in Journalism and English. He graduated from college in 2010 and has since built a successful career in the insurance industry. Today, he works as a Producer at SouthGroup Insurance Services, where he provides tailored insurance solutions for both commercial and personal clients.

Beyond his professional achievements, Andrew is deeply committed to serving his community. He is a member of the Board of Directors for the United Way of the Pine Belt, the programs director for the Sertoma Club of Laurel, and an active member of Laurel Main Street and the 100 Club of Laurel. In his free time, he coaches youth soccer and T-ball and is an active parishioner at Immaculate Conception Parish.

Andrew’s passion for storytelling has also led him to become a published writer, with articles featured in The Clarion Ledger, At Home South Magazine, Boom Jackson, The Northside Sun, The Jackson Free Press, and Magnolia Magazine.

When asked to share advice with current students, Andrew reflects on Luke 14:11: “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” He encourages students to stay humble and let their success speak for itself, reminding them that people from Laurel don’t just make ripples—they make waves.

Andrew is married to Dr. Mary Ousley, and together they share two daughters, Annie and Elizabeth, along with their beloved border collie, Penny.

We are proud to spotlight Andrew Ousley as an outstanding Laurel High School alumnus, continuing to make an impact both professionally and in his community!

11/04/2024

It's official!

CanopyNation, Property and Casualty Division, are now SouthGroupies!

CanopyNation is well-known for its employee benefits expertise throughout Tennessee and has been building a property and casualty book of business in Corinth and Memphis.

CanopyNation’s property and casualty operations are led by Orma Smith (CEO), Jay Mays (VP), and Fred Vann (VP) in their Memphis office. Orma’s partner and son, Hack Smith (VP), joins him in the Corinth office, their Mississippi Hub. The team joining Orma and Hack includes Jordan Quinn, J.R. Burns, Nick Betts, Lauren Butler, Maria Tull, and Cheryl Saum.

With their stated core values of people first, accountability, can-do, will-do mindset, transparency, and teamwork, they are a perfect fit for SouthGroup!

We are so excited to have them!

08/09/2024

We are thrilled to announce that SouthGroup has retained its "Best Practices" Agency designation for 2024!

This prestigious designation is awarded to agencies that demonstrate the highest standards of business practices in the insurance industry, as analyzed and documented by the Best Practices Study compiled by Reagan Consultants for the Independent Agents and Brokers of America. Out of over 2,600 independent agencies nominated nationwide, only 235 qualified for this honor, and we are proud to be among them!

07/11/2024

SouthGroup Insurance Services is pleased to announce that Andrew Ousley has joined the company as its newest associate! He will be based out of SouthGroup’s Laurel office serving as a licensed Property & Casualty Insurance Producer.

Ousley is a Laurel native and a 2010 graduate of The University of Mississippi where he received a Bachelors of Arts degree in English with a minor in Journalism. He comes to SouthGroup with previous experience in banking, corporate training and media sales. He is also a published writer with stories featured in The Clarion Ledger, At Home South Magazine, Boom Jackson, The Northside Sun, The Jackson Free Press and Magnolia Magazine.

Mr. Ousley is an active member of the Laurel-Jones County Community serving on the Board of Directors for the United Way of the Pine Belt and as programs director for the Sertoma Club of Laurel. Ousley also serves as operations director for the Nurture Our Future Foundation's main yearly fundraiser, Touch-A-Truck. Ousley coaches youth soccer, T-Ball and is an active member of the Immaculate Conception Parish.

Andrew Ousley is married to Dr. Mary Ousley and they share two daughters, Annie and Elizabeth, and a border collie named Penny.

04/29/2024

🌟 Protect What Matters Most: Explore the Power of Insurance! 🌟
For entrepreneurs and business owners, insurance is a lifeline for protecting your hard work and investments. Whether it's property insurance, liability coverage, or business interruption insurance, safeguard your business against the unexpected. So don't be afraid to call or step in for a quote today.