INDIANAPOLIS — When many employees at Volumod left prison and joined the company, they faced a common challenge: they didn’t have their driver’s licenses back yet.
To break that cycle, Volumod’s leadership took an unconventional step. Renewing Management worked to purchase a nearby apartment complex — once known as Briergate Apartments — that was in such poor shape. Renew Management and Volumod are sister companies, both owned by the same owner.
The company spent millions rehabilitating the property, gutting and rebuilding every unit with new kitchens, appliances and fixtures.
Now renamed Freeman Apartments, the complex is fully renovated and operating at more than 90% capacity. Volumod employees receive discounted rent, allowing them to live within walking distance of the factory. Company officials say the discount and proximity remove some of the biggest barriers for those reentering society, including the stigma of renting with a criminal record.
“Our goal is to restore hope and to inspire the next generation,” said Ethan Fernhaber, the Founder of Helix Development, Volumod and Renewing Management.
Volumod is part of a network of sister companies — including Helix, a land developer, and Renew Management, all aimed at addressing affordable housing needs. In addition to building new communities, Renewing Management, another sister company, owns and rehabilitates 31 older properties around the region.
For employees like Shane and Jean, that mission is life-changing. Shane, who spent a total of 15 years in and out of prison, recently reconnected with his oldest daughter after a decade apart. “Now that I’m sober, she’s bringing the grandbabies over,” he said.
Once a place residents feared entering, the former Briergate Apartments is now a symbol of renewal — and for those working at Volumod, proof that a fresh start is possible.
“If you think you can do it, you can,” Shane Mclin said. “If you say you can’t, you won’t.”
