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Gentex Corporation: Gentex Honored by General Motors as "Corporation of the Year"

^{Published on 2009-06-11 05:57:54, Last Modified on 2009-06-11 05:58:41 - Market Wire}
 

ZEELAND, MI--(Marketwire - June 11, 2009) - Gentex Corporation (NASDAQ: [ GNTX ]), the leading supplier of automatic-dimming rearview mirrors to the worldwide automotive industry, was awarded the General Motors (GM) "Corporation of the Year" designation at the automaker's recent awards presentation held in Warren, Michigan. This is the highest honor that GM bestows on its suppliers. Gentex was also recognized for the 12th consecutive year and the 13th time overall, as a GM Supplier of the Year.

Gentex supplies GM with interior and exterior auto-dimming mirrors, which automatically darken to reduce glare from the headlamps of vehicles approaching from the rear. The brighter the glare, the darker the mirrors become, making nighttime driving safer. Many of the mirrors also house additional electronic features, such as compass and temperature displays, microphones, and LED turn signals. Gentex's SmartBeam® headlamp control system and Rear Camera Display (RCD) Mirror are also available on a number of GM models.

In accepting the award, Gentex Chairman and CEO Fred Bauer said, "We are very pleased to be recognized by GM with the prestigious 'Corporation of the Year' award. We have worked with General Motors for over 25 years, and having our efforts recognized, out of the thousands of global GM suppliers, is very gratifying."

"Gentex has supported our needs on a global and regional basis and have exceeded their commitments to us in the right way," said Bo Andersson, GM group vice president, Global Purchasing and Supply Chain. "Their performance is excellent, but foremost, they are a true technology leader in their field."

The GM Supplier of the Year award program started in 1992. Winners are selected by a global team of executives from purchasing, engineering, manufacturing and logistics who base their decisions on supplier performance in quality, service, technology and price. This year, General Motors honored 99 suppliers for their outstanding performance throughout 2008.

Founded in 1974, Gentex Corporation (NASDAQ: [ GNTX ]) is an international company that provides high-quality products to the worldwide automotive industry and North American fire protection market. Based in Zeeland, Michigan, the Company develops, manufactures and markets interior and exterior automatic-dimming automotive rearview mirrors that utilize proprietary electrochromic technology to dim in proportion to the amount of headlight glare from trailing vehicle headlamps. Many of the mirrors are sold with advanced electronic features, and more than 96 percent of the Company's revenues are derived from the sale of auto-dimming mirrors to nearly every major automaker in the world.