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Opening doors: Westfield residents take a chance on business ownership in Indianapolis • Current Publishing

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Opening doors: Westfield residents take a chance on business ownership in Indianapolis • Current Publishing


For Josh and Amy Evans of Westfield, chasing a dream has become a reality.

The couple, who have called Hamilton County home for the past six years, are leaning into their biggest challenge — business ownership — with a message for the community about taking a chance.

“We want to be more involved in our community,” Josh Evans said. “Our kids go to Westfield schools, I coach wrestling, we’re the class parents for our kids throughout the years. We wanted to really be involved in the community that they are in, and our community on a deeper level. So, opening a local business really was the answer for that.”

The couple moved to central Indiana from Pennsylvania in 2018. Josh Evans spent most of his career in the automotive industry, most recently as a director for Carvana in Indianapolis.

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But the couple always had a dream to open their own business, one that would complement both of their skill sets. After research and a lot of discussion, they found the opportunity to own a franchise with Closet Factory, a custom-closet company that also designs, manufactures and installs home offices, garage cabinets and other home storage solutions.

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Closet Factory provides storage solutions for homes, including garage storage. (Photo courtesy of Amy Evans)

“We got to a point in our lives where we have three boys and they’re a little older now. So, we made the decision that it’s now or never,” Josh Evans said. “When we came upon Closet Factory, we realized that it really hit a lot of points that we were looking for. Amy has a background in social media marketing. She attended a fashion design school in Los Angeles, so she has a keen eye for design and an interest in interior design. My background is in sales, leadership and manufacturing management. So, this franchise is unique in that we will actually be manufacturing the products from raw materials ourselves. So, it gives us the unique ability to really design anything the customer needs and build it for them.”

The manufacturing facility is in Indianapolis and uses locally sourced materials. Although there is a showroom, most customers will schedule an appointment and a designer will go to them, measure their space and work inside the home to design the project and produce a 3D rendering.

But for the Evans family, the venture is also about their commitment to calling Indiana home.

“We really just fell in love with the area when we moved here and put down roots,” Josh Evans said. “That was a big part of deciding to open the business here. It has the small-town feel and being able to be a part of a growing community (is rewarding), and Westfield has such an eclectic mix of people. There are so many people who are from other states or other parts of this state and other countries. It’s really just a melting pot for people who are actively creating a community. That’s very unique.”

As far as diving into business ownership, the couple encourages their friends and neighbors to take a risk if they are considering taking that leap.

“You can either dedicate your time and your effort for somebody else’s goals, or you can dedicate your time and effort for your goals,” Josh Evans said. “It is scary to go out on your own because there is no safety net, but at the end of the day there’s no safety net for anybody you work for. As I saw my children growing and I found myself giving them advice on how they should view their future careers, I didn’t want to see them stuck in a position or a job that they are unhappy with, where they feel they’re trapped in because they have to pay the bills. So, I wanted to set an example for them and show them the process that you can really do anything you put your mind to if you put the effort in.”

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The couple said they hope to build a legacy for their three children, Clark, 14, Henry, 10, and William, 8.

“We want to build something for our family and potentially have something to pass down to our kids one day and show them what you can do if you step away from the perspective that getting a job for somebody else is your only option,” Josh Evans said.

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Josh and Amy Evans launched their Closet Factory franchise in May in Indianapolis, featuring custom closet storage solutions. (Photo courtesy of Amy Evans)

CLOSET FACTORY CARES

Not satisfied to simply own a business, Josh and Amy Evans plan to leverage the success of their new company for philanthropic efforts locally.

“We will be partnering with a local charity once we get up and running,” Amy Evans said. “It’s called Closet Factor Cares, and they give backpacks that are also luggage to foster care children. They normally just get a black trash bag, so eventually once we get up and running, we will partner with a local foster care facility and start the Closet Factory Cares here.”

Amy Evans said the charitable portion of the company should be up and running within six months.

Closet Factory has 61 locations in 31 states, with Josh and Amy Evans’ franchise the first to open in Indiana. The Indianapolis location officially launched May 20.

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Learn more about the Evans’ business at closetfactory.com/locations/indianapolis or on Instagram at closet.factory.indy.



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Indianapolis councilman says ‘No Data Centers’ note was left at his home after someone opened fire

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Indianapolis councilman says ‘No Data Centers’ note was left at his home after someone opened fire


The home of a councilman in Indianapolis was shot at early Monday in what local police said was an “isolated, targeted incident.”

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The incident came less than a week after the Indianapolis Metropolitan Development Commission voted 6 to 2 on April 1 to approve rezoning to allow the construction of a data center.

Ron Gibson, a Democrat who represents District 8 on the council, spoke out in support of the rezoning and the efforts to build the data center in his district.

“Earlier this morning, between approximately 12:45 a.m. and 12:50 a.m., just a few hours after Easter Sunday, an individual fired 13 rounds at the front door of my home and left a note on my doorstep that read, ‘No Data Centers,’” Gibson said in a Monday statement.


“No Data Centers” note, according to a photo taken by Councilman Ron Gibson. 

Councilman Ron Gibson

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The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said it was called to the home on Monday morning, and officers found evidence that gunshots had been fired at the house. Police said no injuries were reported.

“I understand that public service can bring strong opinions and disagreement, but violence is never the answer, especially when it puts families at risk,” Gibson said in his statement.

The Indianapolis-Marion County City-County Council did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.

The data center is set to be built by Metrobloks, a data center developer based in Los Angeles. Following the vote last week, Gibson shared a statement on social media promoting the project.

“Metrobloks has the potential to bring significant investment, create jobs, and generate long-term tax revenue that supports infrastructure, housing, and essential services,” the statement said.

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A data center boom is happening across the US, with companies pouring billions into building the infrastructure to keep up with demand in the era of AI. The data centers have faced increased opposition, with critics pointing to the high resource costs, from water to energy, and other issues like noise pollution, as detailed in a Business Insider investigation.





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Recorder Rewind: NCAA Division III basketball championship (Photos)

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Recorder Rewind: NCAA Division III basketball championship (Photos)


The University of Mary Washington men’s basketball team won the 2026 NCAA Division III national championship on April 5, defeating Emory University 75-73 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis to secure the first national title in program history.



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Indianapolis City-County Councilor says IMPD officer shoved him during protest

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Indianapolis City-County Councilor says IMPD officer shoved him during protest


INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis City-County Councilor says he was shoved by a police officer during a protest Saturday night.

In a post on Facebook, Jesse Brown — who represents council district 13 — indicated that a member of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department approached a group of protestors and began shoving and grabbing them.

“Tonight, an IMPD officer approached a group of protestors from behind/beside them, did not identify himself or issue verbal orders, but started grabbing and shoving people and cussing at them to move (we were stuck behind other people blocking the sidewalk),” Brown wrote on Facebook.

Brown added that he asked the officer for his badge number and told him he was a City-County Councilor.

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“I told the IMPD officer who was shoving people that I wanted his badge number,” Brown wrote. “He refused to give it. I told him I was a City Councilor. He said that he didn’t care WHO I was and grabbed my arm to shove me as well.”

Brown finished his post by confirming that he filed a formal incident report on his encounter with the officer. He also offered some criticism for the officer in the final sentence of his post.

“Officers have a difficult job, but if this is how he treated two white male candidates / elected officials, I do not trust him to serve the public and de-escalate tense situations.”

Jackson Franklin, who is running for Indiana’s fifth district seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, was also involved in the incident. He made a Facebook post with greater detail on the incident.

Franklin said he, Brown and others were protesting near Lucas Oil Stadium ahead of Saturday’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Final Four games. Franklin said he and other protestors were at the Final Four “to demand the NCAA stop using the same airliners that ICE uses to break apart and deport families in this racist injustice system.”

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A report from The Athletic that was syndicated by Yahoo Sports indicates that at least one airliner has contracts with the NCAA to transport student-athletes to tournaments and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to deport undocumented immigrants.

In his post, Franklin said the officer involved in the incident “shoved/assaulted many of the protestors, including Indianapolis City-council person Jesse Brown.” Franklin added that the officer did not provide any warnings before he began shoving protestors

“I thought initially it was going to be some MAGA person just walking past that was offended by our anti-ICE chants, but I turned around and noticed that he was wearing a uniform,” Franklin wrote in his Facebook post. “It was only then he gave his commands to continue to move and he immediately went to push around many others, using his uniform as an excuse to harass those he disagreed with politically.

“There was absolutely no need for violence and the protest organizers filed a complaint, but I have no hope of any action occurring because of this complaint. While the lone officer assaulted us, there were about 10-15 other officers looking around awkwardly unsure of what to do, not protecting our first amendment right while also probably realizing the officer was way out of line and should have just asked us nicely to keep the movement on the public sidewalk going quicker rather than using violence as the first and only answer.”

FOX59/CBS4 reached out to IMPD for a statement on Brown and Franklin’s comments. As of this article’s publication, the agency had not responded to those inquiries.

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Brown has been at the center of multiple city-county council disputes over the last 14 months. In February 2025, Brown — whose district encompasses portions of downtown and the near east side of Indy — said the city-county council’s democratic caucus expelled him from their ranks.

Brown also introduced a motion to remove the council’s president and vice president in July.

As of this article’s publication, no additional information on the incident Brown, Franklin and others were involved in had been made available.

This is a developing story; check back for updates.

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