Israeli Group Came in Like a Hurricane
Schwartz and Ohana built a business from the ground up to serve a niche home care market.
After 37 years with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and now with the AJT, , Jaffe’s focus is lifestyle, art, dining, fashion, and community events with emphasis on Jewish movers and shakers.
Along with business partner Liran Ohana, Jehonatan Schwartz moved to the United States in 2015 to start a new life chapter. He said, “It wasn’t easy leaving my entire family behind in Israel, but we had a vision. I wanted to build something from the ground up.”
Now his family-owned business, Hurricane Group, operates a crew with five trucks and offers a range of services focused on improving air quality and ensuring the safety of homes and businesses. The business might not be sexy and glamorous, but prevention is necessary, noting that house fires have ignited based on lint accumulation. Think of the timeless best seller, “The Millionaire Next Door,” about cement company owners in pickup trucks who are “banking the bucks” and wearing Rolexes. In addition to dryer vent cleaning, Hurricane does air duct cleaning, HVAC system maintenance and water damage restoration.
Schwartz said, “We don’t just clean — we make homes healthier and safer. Many people don’t realize the importance of vent cleaning until it’s too late. Dirty vents can lead to poor air quality, increase energy costs. The dryer vent needs to be done once a year due to serious fire hazards and lack of air flow.”
Schwartz feels rewarded watching the company’s growth. “We started with just one truck and a simple mission: to provide the best service to every customer, treating them like family. It wasn’t glamorous at first. We did everything ourselves — answering calls, handling the equipment, and meeting clients. But with hard work, dedication, and a commitment to quality, we grew.”
Schwartz recommends cleaning every three to five years, depending on factors like pets, allergies, and recent renovations. For dryer vents, it’s critical to clean them annually because lint buildup is one of the leading causes of house fires. He recalled, “I have a customer who was scheduled to clean the dryer vent once a year; when I came to his house, I saw that the house next door was burned a week before because of the dryer vent.”
Building owners may naively think they have only one vent system. Thus, air ducts are part of the HVAC system, circulating air throughout the home. Cleaning improves air quality and system efficiency. Dryer vents remove hot, moist air from the dryer. Lint buildup can block airflow, causing overheating. Air duct cleaning price is based on square footage and number of HVAC systems — between $375 to $475 per HVAC system. Dryer vent cleaning price ranges between $169 to $229.
Schwartz handles the physical work, while Ohana manages operations behind the scenes.
They related, “Starting from scratch was tough. There were long days, late nights, and countless challenges. But we believed in our vision.” They focus on serving communities like Gainesville, Buford, Alpharetta, Roswell, Cumming, Dunwoody, Marietta and Atlanta.”
Schwartz was born and raised in Givataim, a small town just outside of Tel Aviv. He described his upbringing as “family-oriented, hardworking, and driven by a strong sense of community.” After high school, he served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for three years as a combat soldier. He stated that he cannot reveal the specifics of his assignment, but that his military service was “intense and demanding” and taught him discipline, resilience, and leadership — skills that have been invaluable and attributed to many former IDF soldiers’ personal lives and business journeys accelerated by this experience. Following the IDF, he pursued a business marketing degree from a college in Israel, where he gained a deeper understanding of how businesses grow, connecting to customers, and build lasting brands
They chose the name “Hurricane” because it represents “strength, impact, and unstoppable energy. That’s exactly how we approach our work — bringing powerful results to every project we take on.”
Schwartz and his wife, Moran, have four children (9, 6, 4, and 3) who attend The Davis Academy and the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta. Schwartz visits family back in Israel every two years. He concluded, “Faith is also an important part of our lives. We’re active members of our local shul in North Fulton, which helps us stay connected to our roots and community here in the U.S. This journey has taught us that success isn’t just about growth — it’s about staying true to your values, caring for your community, and never forgetting from where you came.”
Bottom line: Don’t take your vents for granted! And trust an Israeli to get it done.
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