Team Ryan Automotive: Our First Year in Buford, 2015

Team Ryan Automotive opened its first shop in Buford in April 2015. Dan and Shara Ryan started with a warehouse to convert, a 1940s house to renovate, and a plan to give customers clear explanations about their vehicles. These photographs and stories from that first year show how the shop took shape, from building repairs to early customer jobs and local events.

Turning a Warehouse into an Automotive Shop

The building purchase closed at the end of January 2015. Work began right away to turn the warehouse into an automotive repair facility. The floor conversion was finished in early February, ahead of the April opening.

The team also installed insulation throughout the shop and a waste oil heater. The original update described those changes as part of making the space more comfortable for technicians while putting used oil to work for heating.

Restoring the House and Front Porch

Renovating the 1940s house meant working with what was already there. Hardwood floors were found beneath plywood and linoleum in the kitchen. Refinishing the floors, repainting rooms, and adding furniture brought the office space together. One room had previously been painted black.

The kitchen received new paint and hardware while keeping the character of the house. The bathroom was updated too.

Outside, Dan Ryan and Joel Neely worked on a concrete porch that was caving in. The photographs below show the demolition work and the repaired entrance.

Early Jobs in the Repair Bays

One of the first customer vehicles was a Chevrolet 3500 with a 6.6-liter Duramax diesel engine. The job involved replacing the cylinder head gaskets. The photographs show the truck in the repair bay and the engine during the work.

Another May 2015 post documented an aftermarket bumper installation. These photos preserve that early project as part of the shop's history.

Everyday Moments Around the Shop

Not every update was about a repair. Dan and Joel also appeared in a lighthearted post about keeping the flowers watered. A later post featured a small garden decoration, described as a new breed of firefly courtesy of Joel Neely. A welcome photograph captured the entrance during that first summer.

Getting to Know the Local Business Community

In May, Team Ryan attended the Greater Hall County Chamber of Commerce gala at the Chattahoochee Country Club in Gainesville. The original post described meeting other business owners and supporting the small businesses being honored that evening.

A Sunday at the Dragway

That spring also included a trip to the dragway. Rain held off long enough for the races to finish, and the original update shared photos of the teams, drivers, and cars.

The Approach to Customer Care from the Start

An August 2015 update explained how the shop wanted to work with customers: diagnose the problem, explain the repair, and help prioritize work around the vehicle's needs and the customer's budget. Those early posts focused on giving people enough information to make their own decisions.

A Holiday Photograph to Close the Year

The December 2015 Christmas post shared a photograph from a Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce holiday event. It is kept here as a memory from the shop's first year.

After the First Year: The Roadside Sign in 2016

The next chapter included a monument sign on South Waterworks Road. The sign update was published in February 2016, after the year covered above. It thanked family members and Dan, Joel, and Riley for their help with the masonry and installation.

For the story beyond the first year, visit our About Us page.