In 1962 Gary Hooker, founder of Hooker Headers, designed a header for his new 409 Chevrolet. He immediately found a demand for this header from other racers in the area. It was not long before Gary had hired employees and was operating out of a small building in South Ontario, CA. In 1965, however, a fire wiped out most of his factory. The forced move was a turning point. Hooker Headers was relocated to a new building on Brooks Street in Ontario. With the additional room, Gary Hooker was able to put some production ideas to work and he was soon out-producing the competition.