30 | Oregon Home CUSTOM FIT: Closet Factory SINCE THEY BECAME the owners of the Closet Factory in Tualatin in July, Karen and Chris McIlmoil have become very familiar with a particular three-letter word: Wow. “Every client who comes in and sees the finished project in their home, they all say the same thing — ‘Wow,’” says Chris. “Every time.” They’re saying it because of the aesthetics of their new closet or storage system, the design, the materials, the speed of installation — everything about it creates a moment of delight. And that’s just what the McIlmoils are aiming to achieve at Closet Factory. The husband-and-wife team may be somewhat new to owning their own franchise, but they’re hardly new to the company. Karen’s father, John La Barbera, started Closet Factory in California in 1983 when Karen was 9 years old. She later worked for the company in college. Fast-forward a few decades, and Karen and Chris were looking for a new opportunity after Chris sold his longtime veterinarian practices to a large corporation. The Tualatin franchise of Closet Factory wasn’t for sale at the time, but putting the bug in the owner’s ear eventually paid off, and the McIlmoils acquired it at the end of July. The couple also owns a second, complementary business, Wall Beds of Oregon. Karen says what they’ve enjoyed the most has been working The family-owned Closet Factory takes home storage to a whole new, local — and custom — level. BY JON BELL
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