Great South Benefits Group

What Great South Benefits Group does

Great South Benefits Group is a privately held employee benefits and insurance brokerage founded in 1989 by David Combs and Jack Tester, headquartered in Suwanee, Georgia. The firm serves small and mid-sized businesses (employers with as few as 5 employees, following the 2010 ACA-driven market expansion) across the Southeast United States, and has additionally added an individual/family product line covering ACA Marketplace, short-term medical, fixed benefit, and community sharing plans. Its offering spans three categories: group employee benefits (health, dental, vision, disability, life), Property & Casualty (general liability, workers' compensation, commercial auto, property, risk management), and employer consulting services (PEO exit strategies, ACA reporting, benefits technology, payroll administration, HR strategic solutions). Financial services and executive liability protection are offered via an unaffiliated FINRA/SIPC member, Packerland Brokerage Services.

The company operates a hybrid distribution model combining direct, consultation-led sales with a channel partner ecosystem that includes CPA firms, payroll vendors, HR compliance consultants, and executive business coaches. Technology consists of an in-house online enrollment and benefits administration platform, supplemented by integration capabilities that enable smaller payroll providers to bundle benefits alongside their core services and compete with ADP and Paychex. Revenue is generated through commissions paid by insurance carriers for placing group coverage, supplemented by fees for consulting and technology services; pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Management includes co-founders David Combs (President, CLU/ChFC/CFP) and Jack Tester, 2nd-generation co-owner Stephen Combs (P&C), and Managing Director Hal Schlenger, who joined from HIPnation in 2019 and was promoted in June 2023. The firm employs 7+ named team members and is currently founder/family-owned with no institutional investment disclosed.

Name

Great South Benefits Group

Legal name

Great South Benefits Group

Website

https://greatsouthbenefits.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Great South Benefits Group is a private Southeast US insurance and employee benefits brokerage, founded 1989, serving small and mid-sized businesses (5+ employees) with group health, dental, vision, disability, life, Property & Casualty coverage, and HR/payroll consulting via direct sales and CPA/payroll-vendor channel partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Employee Benefits & Insurance Brokerage

NAICS

Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Small Group Health Insurance (2–50/100) (FSAIAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Benefits Administration & Enrollment Support (BPAAAIAB), Benefits Administration (BPACAPAC), Employer-Sponsored Dental & Vision (Group) (FSAIAHAH), Group Disability Income Insurance (Employer-Sponsored) (FSAIAIAB)

Keywords

• Employee benefits brokerage
• Group health insurance
• Property casualty insurance
• Workers compensation coverage
• Self-funded insurance plans

Headquarters

HQ city

Suwanee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Insurance Brokerage and Consulting: Revenue generated through commissions from insurance carriers for placing group health, dental, vision, disability, life insurance, and property & casualty coverage for employers. Also earns fees for employer consulting services including PEO Exit Strategies, ACA Reporting, Benefits Technology setup, Payroll Administration, and HR Strategic Solutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Great South Benefits Group is an employee benefits and insurance brokerage that sells group health, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance; property and casualty insurance (general liability, workers' compensation, commercial auto); and employer consulting services (PEO exit strategies, ACA reporting, benefits technology, payroll administration, HR strategic solutions). The firm primarily serves small and mid-sized businesses with as few as 5 employees, leveraging carrier relationships and self-funding strategies to help clients reduce health insurance costs by up to 40%.

Product overview

Great South Benefits Group is an employee benefits and insurance brokerage offering a comprehensive portfolio of products and services. The company operates across three main categories: (1) Employee Benefits including Group Health, Dental & Vision, Disability, and Life Insurance; (2) Property & Casualty Insurance including General Liability, Workers' Compensation, Commercial Auto, and Risk Management Services; and (3) Employer Consulting Services including PEO Exit Strategies, ACA Reporting, Benefits Technology, Payroll Administration Services, and HR Strategic Solutions. For individuals, they offer ACA Marketplace Plans, Short Term Medical, Fixed Benefit (Indemnity) Plans, and Community Sharing Plans. The company leverages carrier relationships and self-funding strategies to help clients save up to 40% on health insurance costs. Securities are offered through Packerland Brokerage Services, Inc.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Group Health Insurance Health insurance coverage for employer groups, leveraging carrier relationships and self-funding strategies to help businesses manage costs.
• Group Dental & Vision Insurance Dental and vision insurance plans offered as part of comprehensive employee benefits packages for group clients.
• Group Disability Insurance Income protection insurance for employees in case of disability, integrated into employer-sponsored benefit packages.
• Group Life Insurance Life insurance coverage provided to employees through employer group plans.
• General Liability Insurance Commercial general liability coverage for businesses as part of Property & Casualty insurance offerings.
• Workers' Compensation Insurance Workers' compensation insurance coverage for employers, offered through carrier partnerships.
• Commercial Property and Casualty Insurance Commercial property and casualty insurance products including property coverage and liability protection for businesses.
• Commercial Auto Insurance Vehicle insurance coverage for commercial vehicles as part of the business insurance portfolio.
• Financial Services & Executive Liability Protection Financial services including executive liability protection and keyman insurance for business owners and executives, offered through Packerland Brokerage Services, Inc.
• PEO Exit Strategies Consulting Consulting services to help businesses transition away from Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs) and manage their own employee benefits.
• ACA Reporting Services Affordable Care Act compliance and reporting services for employers to meet regulatory requirements.
• Benefits Technology Services Technology-enabled benefits administration and management solutions for employers, including online enrollment and changes management.
• Payroll Administration Services Payroll processing support and administration services, including partnerships with payroll vendors for integrated solutions.
• HR Strategic Solutions Strategic human resources consulting to help businesses optimize their HR functions and employee benefits strategies.
• Risk Management Services Risk assessment and management consulting services for businesses to identify and mitigate operational risks.
• ACA Marketplace Plans Health insurance plans available through the ACA Marketplace for individuals, covering pre-existing conditions with potential income-based credits.
• Short Term Medical Insurance Temporary health insurance coverage with lower costs but without guaranteed renewal or pre-existing condition coverage.
• Fixed Benefit (Indemnity) Plans Indemnity health plans with price transparency and fixed benefits, with optional maternity coverage and no annual out-of-pocket limit.
• Community Sharing Plans Healthcare cost-sharing programs that function similarly to insurance but are not legally classified as insurance, including maternity coverage.

Quantifiable outcome

• Save up to 40% on health insurance costs with same or better benefits
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CPAs and AccountantscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with CPA firms and accountants who serve as trusted advisors to their clients. Company helps accountants look like heroes by saving clients up to 40% on health insurance costs with the same or better benefits.
• Payroll VendorscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTechnology partnership enabling payroll vendors to offer seamless integration and one-stop shop benefits services. Allows small vendors to compete with ADP and Paychex while increasing client loyalty through cost savings on benefits.
• HR Compliance ConsultantsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with HR compliance consultants to provide comprehensive benefits solutions alongside their consulting services.
• Executive Business CoachesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with executive business coaches who can refer clients seeking employee benefits optimization.
• Packerland Brokerage Services, Inc.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSecurities offered through Packerland Brokerage Services, Inc., an unaffiliated entity. Company is a member of FINRA and SIPC. This enables offering of Financial Services and Executive Liability Protection products.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• TriNet: PEO providing HR, benefits, payroll, and risk solutions to small and mid-size businesses — the same client segment Great South Benefits targets. Highly comparable as a competitor for SMB benefits administration; PEOs are explicitly referenced in Great South's PEO Exit Strategy service.

Direct peers

• Assurance: Top-50 U.S. insurance brokerage specializing in employee benefits, business insurance, and HR solutions for SMB and mid-market clients. Closely comparable in benefits-led, technology-enabled service model targeting the same small/mid-size employer segment.
• IMA Financial Group: Employee-owned insurance brokerage providing commercial insurance, employee benefits, and wealth management across the U.S. Comparable in offering a multi-line brokerage (benefits + P&C) and serving small/mid-size employer clients.
• BKS Partners: Employee benefits and commercial insurance brokerage with a strong concentration in the Southeast U.S., offering group benefits, P&C, retirement, and HR consulting. Highly comparable as a regional Southeast benefits brokerage with a similar product breadth and SMB/mid-market focus.
• The Leavitt Group: National insurance brokerage offering commercial, employee benefits, and personal lines through regional offices. Comparable as a mid-sized, regional-office-driven brokerage providing group health, P&C, and benefits consulting to small and mid-size employers.

Broad incumbents

• HUB International: Global insurance brokerage with deep benefits and HR consulting capabilities across the U.S. and Canada. Comparable in the full benefits-plus-P&C-plus-consulting model, but with national reach and substantially larger carrier leverage.
• USI Insurance Services: Top-10 U.S. insurance brokerage and consulting firm with a strong middle-market employee benefits practice. Comparable in target client segment and benefits-led distribution, but at significantly larger scale.
• OneDigital: One of the largest U.S. employee benefits and HR consulting brokerages, focused heavily on the mid-market and SMB segment with technology-enabled benefits administration. Directly comparable in target market (employers with 5+ employees) and benefits-brokerage-plus-consulting model, but at significantly greater scale.
• Brown & Brown: Large national insurance brokerage with a substantial employee benefits practice. Comparable in offering group health and ancillary benefits placement, but at vastly greater scale and national footprint.
• Acrisure: Fast-growing insurance brokerage platform with a sizable employee benefits and HR consulting business serving SMB and mid-market clients. Comparable in benefits-led service model, though operating as a national consolidator versus a single regional firm.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/greatsouthbenef
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/great-south-benefits-group

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Great South Benefits Group