About Us
Professional Service. Genuine Care. Because We Give a HOOT!
At Hood Safe, we believe professionalism should be the standard, not the exception.
Restaurant owners and facility managers have enough on their plates. They shouldn’t have to worry about whether their service provider will show up, answer the phone, do the job correctly, or leave their facility in good condition.
We started Hood Safe to deliver a better experience.
Founded in 2023, Hood Safe was built around a straightforward idea: combine professional service, consistent quality, and genuine accountability with a company that actually cares about its customers.
Today, we serve businesses from six locations across Michigan, providing commercial kitchen exhaust cleaning, fire safety-related maintenance, and specialty cleaning services.
We’ve grown considerably since our first job, but our philosophy hasn’t changed.
Show up. Do the job right. Take pride in your work. And treat every customer’s business like it matters.
Because to us, it does.
That’s what we mean when we say, We Give a HOOT!
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Professional Service. Genuine Care. Because We Give a HOOT!
Where It All Began
Hood Safe began when three lifelong friends recognized an opportunity to bring greater professionalism to an industry that needed it.
Through his work in insurance and hospitality, co-founder Jacob Howard frequently heard frustrations from restaurant operators struggling to find dependable commercial kitchen cleaning providers.
Missed appointments, poor communication, inconsistent quality, and unreturned phone calls were all too common.
Jacob recognized an opportunity to do something better.
Three Founders, One Vision
Together with longtime friends Kevin Heires and Tom Stoney, they set out to create a company that would approach commercial kitchen cleaning differently.
Each founder brought a unique perspective.
Kevin’s background in engineering and business development contributed a focus on innovation, problem-solving, and building scalable systems. Tom, a former manufacturing director, brought extensive experience in operational leadership, quality management, and process improvement. Jacob’s insurance and hospitality experience provided valuable insight into the challenges facing restaurant operators and the importance of managing risk.
Together, they shared a vision: bring the professionalism, systems, and accountability of a well-managed organization to an essential service industry.
Building From the Ground Up
But turning that vision into reality meant starting from the ground up.
In Hood Safe’s early days, Kevin and Tom worked alongside other technicians cleaning commercial kitchen exhaust systems through the night. During the day, they handled sales, marketing, customer relationships, and nearly every other aspect of launching the business.
Those long nights and demanding early years shaped the company’s understanding of what customers need and what technicians experience in the field.
Growing and Looking Ahead
As Hood Safe grew, so did its investment in people, equipment, training, and processes.
What started as a small operation has become a multi-crew organization serving customers throughout Michigan.
And we’re still building.
Our goal has never been simply to build a bigger cleaning company. It’s to build a better service company.
Professionalism Is More Than a Promise
We believe professional service should be evident in every interaction, from the first phone call to the moment our technicians leave your facility.
And sometimes, it’s the little things that make the biggest difference.
Communication You Can Count On
Our customers frequently tell us how much they appreciate simply being able to reach someone when they need assistance.
We prioritize responsive communication, dependable scheduling, and following through on our commitments.
Respect for Your Facility
A cleaning job isn’t complete if the customer is left cleaning up after the cleaning crew.
Our technicians take pride in protecting equipment, maintaining an organized work environment, and thoroughly cleaning up after completing their work.
We want our customers to arrive the next morning and find their facility in better condition than we found it.
Transparency Through Documentation
Much of the most important work involved in commercial kitchen exhaust cleaning happens in places customers rarely see.
That’s why we provide detailed service reports and before-and-after photographs that help customers understand what was cleaned and document the work performed.
We also assist customers with submitting service documentation when needed, helping simplify another important responsibility.
Pride in Workmanship
From removing grease inside exhaust systems to polishing the visible stainless steel, we believe attention to detail matters.
We’re proud when customers compliment the appearance of their kitchens after a service. But we’re equally committed to the work happening behind the scenes.
Because a clean-looking hood and a properly cleaned exhaust system aren’t necessarily the same thing.
QUALITY DOESN'T HAPPEN BY ACCIDENT
Delivering consistent service requires more than good intentions. It takes trained people, reliable equipment, clear expectations, and accountability.
Trained Technicians
We invest in our employees by providing professional equipment, consistent supplies, structured training, and the support necessary to perform their work effectively.
Established Standards
Hood Safe is an IKECA member, and we train our technicians around recognized industry practices and applicable NFPA 96 requirements. Our teams follow established procedures to support consistent service.
Leadership & Accountability
Our technicians operate within established procedures, with experienced field leadership and management oversight helping maintain service quality. These systems support a consistently professional experience, regardless of which crew arrives at your facility.
Documentation & Quality Reviews
We use digital documentation, photographs, and internal quality reviews to evaluate completed work and identify opportunities for improvement. These systems help us monitor our work and deliver a consistently professional experience.
Quality shouldn't be left to chance. It should be built into the way a company operates.
DOING WHAT'S RIGHT, EVEN WHEN NOBODY IS WATCHING
Sometimes, providing professional service means going beyond what's easy or expected.
Doing What's Right
When we began working with a large multi-location restaurant organization, we encountered exhaust systems that needed much more than routine maintenance.
Rather than rushing through the work, we committed the additional time, labor, and resources needed to address the problems properly. Some locations required entire visits, and we absorbed the costs necessary to restore their exhaust systems to NFPA 96 Standards.
We made that decision because it was the right thing to do. Our goal was to help restore those systems and establish a dependable foundation for long-term maintenance.
Everyday Standards
That same philosophy applies to the everyday details.
- ✓ Answering the phone.
- ✓ Following through.
- ✓ Cleaning up after ourselves.
- ✓ Providing documentation.
- ✓ Taking responsibility when something needs attention.
We don't believe these things should be exceptional.
We believe they should be expected.
The Story Behind Our Brand
Why an Owl? Because We Give a HOOT!
When we created Hood Safe, we wanted to build a brand that stood out.
Commercial cleaning is serious work, but we didn't think that meant our company had to feel impersonal.
So instead of another generic cleaning-company logo, we chose an owl.
It seemed like a natural fit. After all, much of our work happens overnight, while the restaurants we serve are closed.
But the owl came to represent something bigger.
We wanted a company that customers would remember, employees would be proud to represent, and people would genuinely enjoy working with.
That's where We Give a HOOT! comes in.
It's more than a slogan or a play on words.
It's a reminder that we, individually and as a company, care about the quality of our work, the people performing it, and the businesses that depend on us. It is our internal culture. We even use a mascot internally named "Hooty" to help us continuously train and keep our standards high. Hooty is consistently and affectionately hoots at the team as a co-worker, cheerleader, and coach.
We take our responsibilities seriously.
We just believe there's room for a little personality and fun along the way.
We Give a HOOT!
Our Purpose: Helping Commercial Kitchens Thrive
We understand that running a restaurant isn’t easy.
Operating margins are often tight, responsibilities are endless, and finding reliable service partners can be a challenge.
Our business began with commercial kitchen exhaust cleaning and a commitment to helping operators maintain safer, cleaner facilities.
Today, we’ve expanded our capabilities into complementary services, including kitchen deep cleaning, grease management, and specialty cleaning.
But our long-term vision goes beyond any individual service.
We want to help commercial kitchen operators succeed.
That means continually looking for ways to make essential services more dependable, simplify facility maintenance, improve transparency, and reduce the time customers spend managing problems.
We’re investing in our people, technology, and processes to create a more connected, efficient, and accountable service organization.
Because we believe our success is directly connected to the success of the businesses we serve.
And as Hood Safe continues to grow, that philosophy will remain at the center of everything we do.
Experience the Hood Safe Difference
Whether you operate a single restaurant or manage commercial kitchens across multiple locations, you deserve a service partner who takes your business as seriously as you do.
At Hood Safe, we’re committed to earning that trust through professionalism, quality workmanship, and genuine care.
Ready to work with a company that gives a HOOT?
