Mississippi-based insurer SouthGroup can help home and business owners design insurance policies tailored specifically for life on the Gulf Coast.
Business and homeowners are in dire straits across the Gulf Coast with insurance companies completely dropping out of neighboring states hit repeatedly by natural disasters, and though Mississippi has largely been spared from extensive damages, rates are always affected by regional, and even global events. Policies are constantly changing and coverage you’ve always considered solid may have “expired” due to more recent, uncontrollable events. Navigating the changing tides is where SouthGroup comes in.
“The good news is that SouthGroup has secured additional [insurance] companies who are willing to write coverage for our clients,” says Angelyn Treutel Zeringue CPA, PWCAM, CBIA, and President of SouthGroup Insurance Services – Gulf Coast. “We are able to mitigate some of the impact by moving our clients to different companies to save them money.”
As a Gulf Coast native, New Orleans-born Zeringue is all too familiar with trials and tribulations involved with maintaining a home and business in the area. Hurricanes, tornadoes, and tropical storms have been increasing in both number and intensity, and she, too, has also had to overcome insurance hurdles. “Even though we were told that we had a 30-year-roof installed after [Hurricane] Katrina, the reality is that today, many of those roofs are failing and are now considered old by the insurance companies.” explains Zeringue.
Some companies are even refusing to insure roofs that haven’t met that 30-year-mark halfway. At SouthGroup, they patiently review coverage with their clients and obtain quotes from several companies to ensure they’re providing the best coverage — at the best rates. “One size does not fit all, and you cannot buy insurance out of a box – each policy should be tailored for what you actually need.”
SouthGroup Insurance Services is a Mississippi-owned and operated franchise with over 24 offices throughout the state. At SouthGroup-Gulf Coast, Zeringue and her team are working tirelessly out of branches in Bay St. Louis and Biloxi to offer all lines of consumer and commercial insurance, and for our convenience, are also available the proverbial twenty-four and seven online, by email, snail mail, fax, text, phone call, or face-to-face visit. “We are very proud to be a one-stop shop for all things insurance.” says Zeringue.
The agents at SouthGroup Insurance Services – Gulf Coast are all locals and active in their coastal communities. “Our agents participate on non-profit boards and support our schools, sports teams, leadership development, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) initiatives,” says Zeringue. “We believe in supporting and giving back to our community.” Among other numerous fundraising endeavors, the Gulf Coast branches have joined forces with the other SouthGroup offices to grant a Make A Wish event for a critically ill child, and together have raised over $100,000 for the Children’s Hospital over the past 10 years. “We are very blessed, and we always give back.”
Over the years, SouthGroup has been recognized as the best Insurance Agency to work for in the Southeast and have been designated a National Best Practices Agency for the past 10 years. “We are very proud to have Mississippi recognized nationally.” Upholding enviable traits such as integrity, optimism, excellence and trust, SouthGroup is proud to tout hard work and dedication to their clients as the core foundations for their success. “SouthGroup is an amazing Insurance Agency with an amazing team of professionals,” admits Zeringue. “I love going to work every day, so I can help people protect what they have worked so hard for in their personal lives and businesses.”
*Article originally published June 2023 in The Shoofly Magazine
