Help Rebuild Mobile Body and Paint After the Flood

My name is Ryan Pryor, owner of Mobile Body and Paint in Asheville, NC. For years, we built a reputation for providing affordable, high-quality repairs when other shops turned people away. We worked with every major insurance company in the U.S., repaired vehicles to OEM specifications, and took pride in serving our neighbors—whether it was a family that just needed their car safe enough to pass inspection, or local businesses keeping trucks, buses, and service vehicles on the road.

On September 29, 2024, Hurricane Helene changed everything. Our shop at 562 Riverside Dr. was completely submerged under 25–27 feet of water. The building collapsed, destroying all of our tools, equipment, supplies, and 15 vehicles. What wasn’t ruined by the flood was quickly looted. The property remains so contaminated by upstream businesses that hazmat suits are required just to enter. I had insurance, but like many others, I discovered too late that it did not include flood coverage. My losses totaled nearly $2 million, and in just a few hours, everything I had worked for over decades was gone.

Since then, I’ve tried to rebuild from nothing. I purchased a Toyota Tundra, a utility shell, and some new tools to operate as a fully mobile shop. Demand is overwhelming—I now receive about 80 calls a day—but working from a truck has major limitations. I no longer have a paint mixing system, so I must buy paint in costly minimums and hope it’s mixed correctly. Jobs take longer, productivity is cut, and revenue is less than a quarter of what it was before the flood.

A grant or donation of $10,000 would be transformational. I would purchase a portable paint mixing system to cut errors by 80% and save hours each week, along with additional mobile tools and better truck organization. These upgrades would let me complete 5–7 more jobs per week, serve 20–25 more customers per month, and increase revenue by 40–50% within six months. Longer term, it would give me the stability to take on commercial contracts again and hire at least one employee back.

This GoFundMe has now been open 345 days, and while every donation has been a lifeline, funding has stalled. I don’t want to move my Google Business page away from Asheville—this is where my customers are, where I serve, and where I want to rebuild. But right now, I can’t find a suitable space to lease, and operating from my home in Hot Springs (a small town 40 minutes away) isn’t viable for sustaining the business.

Your support will not only help me survive, but also bring back a small business that made a real difference in Asheville—supporting families, employees, and organizations who depended on us. Every dollar helps me move closer to rebuilding, and ensures that affordable, honest, community-centered auto repair remains available here in Western North Carolina.

Thank you for standing with me as I fight to rebuild what was lost.

How Your Support Helps Rebuild Mobile Body & Paint

$25,000 Goal (Foundation Rebuild)

• Purchase a portable paint mixing system (cuts errors by 80% and saves hours weekly).

• Replace essential mobile tools & equipment.

• Fully outfit my Toyota Tundra with utility shell for organized, efficient mobile operations.

• Cover immediate survival expenses for myself and former employees.

This gets me stable and fully mobile, serving 20–25 more customers per month.

$50,000 Goal (Growth & Stability)

• All of the above, PLUS:

• Add a used mobile paint truck dedicated to larger jobs.

• Hire 1 employee back within 12 months.

• Build capacity to take on commercial contracts (buses, service trucks, fleets).

This doubles productivity and starts rebuilding the team that was lost.

$100,000 Goal (Full Recovery Path)

• All of the above, PLUS:

• Secure a new leased shop space in Asheville.

• Reinvest in paint machines, supplies, and small-scale inventory.

• Rebuild the business into a community hub for affordable, OEM-spec repairs.