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About Tiger Exchange

The Grease Filter Exchange Service Restaurants Count On.

Tiger Exchange was built on 15 years of hood cleaning experience — and four and a half decades of watching commercial kitchens get the short end of the stick when it came to fire safety.

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Where the Idea Came From

Our founder, Raymond "Tiger" Zakarian, spent over four decades in the food service industry before this company existed. He started his first food service business in 1985, then spent more than ten years in food service sales. In 2007, he launched Under Pressure Hood & Exhaust Cleaning. Over the next 15 years, he grew that business into one of the most respected hood cleaning operations in New England before selling it to a national company in 2022.

During those hood cleaning years, Tiger noticed something that bothered him. Power-washing was the industry-standard method for cleaning grease filters, and power-washing did a great job of making filters look clean. But behind the baffles, where grease really accumulates, the filters often weren't clean at all. Kitchens were passing visual inspections and failing the standard that mattered: actually being safe.

In 2017, while still running Under Pressure, Tiger founded Tiger Exchange to fix that gap. The model was simple. Stop trying to clean filters on-site. Remove the grease-laden filters, clean them properly off-site, and put clean ones in their place. He built the whole operation around fire safety, not appearance.

Our Mission

Most companies sell filters. We sell certainty — that your filters are NFPA-compliant, your wastewater disposal is handled, and your service records are documented. The grease buildup that turns ordinary kitchen fires into headline-grabbing ones doesn't get to sit behind your baffles.

By the Numbers

COMMERCIAL KITCHENS SERVED

STATES

(MA, RI, CT, ME, NH)

YEARS IN BUSINESS - FOUNDED IN 2017

SERVICE VANS ON THE ROAD

Independent restaurants, multi-unit operators, colleges, hospitals, hotels, senior living kitchens, and national chains

Meet The Team

Raymond "Tiger" Zakarian

Founder & Owner

Tiger has spent more than 45 years in the food service industry, with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and certification as a Commercial Kitchen Hood & Exhaust professional. He holds the company's vision, runs day-to-day operations, and still rides along on routes when something interesting comes up. Outside of work, he's been married to Mary for 42 years, is a proud grandfather of two, and rarely heads anywhere on weekends without his golf clubs in the trunk.

Jake Zakarian

Operations Manager

Jake grew up in the kitchen exhaust cleaning industry, working directly with commercial hood systems before transitioning into the filter exchange business. He holds hood cleaning, fire safety, and OSHA certifications, and currently serves as Operations Manager at Tiger Exchange. He's worked alongside Tiger since 2016, learning the operational, sales, and business sides of the company. Jake's approach to client work comes down to respect and communication — if a customer is running late, he waits or circles back at the end of his shift. Outside of work, Jake is happiest with his family, playing sports, traveling, and spending time with his two dogs, Elvis and Vinny.

Mary Zakarian

Treasurer and Accounting Manager

Mary has been a full-charge bookkeeper for over 40 years, mostly working with small businesses, and once managed the books of five at the same time before joining Tiger Exchange as Treasurer and Accounting Manager. She traces her career back to a controller at one of her first jobs, who trusted her with new responsibilities when accounting was still done by hand on ledger sheets. Her professional approach: integrity and kindness, treating people the way she'd want to be treated. Outside of work, Mary helps lead worship at her church, loves to read, golf, laugh, and spend time with family and friends.

Jeff Whitty

Sales

Jeff handles sales at Tiger Exchange. He spent 35-plus years in the lab testing industry before joining the company through his connection to Tiger. Jeff lives by a rule his father taught him — if you're on time, you're late — which has shaped how he approaches every client interaction. He earned his B.S. in Physiology from the University of New Hampshire and is actively involved with the Massachusetts Spina Bifida Association. Outside of work, you'll find Jeff golfing, grilling, or watching sports.

How We Work

Here's what to expect when a Tiger Exchange tech walks into your kitchen.

Uniformed, Trained Technicians

Every Tiger Exchange technician shows up in branded uniform, trained on installation, customer key handling, lockbox codes, protecting client assets, and securing your building. You won't even know we were there except for the spotless filters.

Minimal Disruption

Our exchanges happen during off-hours, when your equipment is cold and your kitchen is quiet. Most clients schedule us before opening or after close. We're typically in and out in 15 to 30 minutes per location.

Documentation You Can Hand to an Inspector

Every visit is logged. Every exchange is documented. Service records go out automatically the next business day — your records on file, no chasing us down, no digging through emails or paper logs when an inspector walks in.

What Drives the Work

Fire Safety First

This is the entire reason the company exists. Every decision flows from it. If a process change makes your filters cleaner and your inspections smoother, we do it. If it doesn't, we don't waste your time.

Show Up When We Say We Will

On-time delivery is the operating standard the entire schedule is built around — not a marketing claim. A missed exchange is a missed promise, and we don't make many of either.

Treat Kitchens Like Partners

Our clients run hard, demanding operations. Our job is to make their work easier, not add to it. The whole program is designed around that idea.

Faith and Family

Tiger has led the company with the same values that have guided his life. Faith. Family. Showing up for the people you committed to. They shape how we treat clients, how we treat our staff, and how we run the business

Want to Talk to Someone Who's Been in This Industry for 45 Years?

That's the fastest way to find out whether Tiger Exchange fits your kitchen. Answer a few questions in our online cost calculator — cooking style, number of hoods, total filters — and see your estimated monthly price in about two minutes. A Tiger Exchange rep will call within one business day, often the same day. A quick 10-minute site visit confirms your quote.