ZEELAND, MI--(Marketwire - Feb 21, 2012) - Gentex Corporation (NASDAQ: [ GNTX ]), the Zeeland, Michigan-based manufacturer of automatic-dimming rearview mirrors and camera-based lighting-assist and driver-assist systems for the automotive industry, commercial fire protection products and dimmable aircraft windows, today announced that its Board of Directors approved an eight percent increase in its quarterly cash dividend rate from $0.12 (12 cents) to $0.13 (13 cents) per share. The Board subsequently declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.13 per share that will be payable April 20, 2012, to shareholders of record of the common stock at the close of business on April 5, 2012. The dividend yield will be approximately two percent.

"Despite the volatile global macroeconomic environment, our Board believes that the dividend is important to investors," said Gentex Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer Fred Bauer. "Our goal has been to have the dividend rate be meaningful, sustainable and increase over time, at a rate generally in line with the Company's net income and operating cash flow."

The quarterly cash dividend program was implemented based on establishment of The Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003, which significantly reduced the federal income tax rate for shareholders who receive corporate cash dividends, making the declaration of a dividend a more tax-efficient means of returning value to shareholders.

"We are pleased with the extension on the favorable tax treatment of cash dividends that is in place through December 2012, and continue to believe that the cash dividend is an appropriate way to return cash to the Company's shareholders based on the current U.S. tax laws," said Bauer.

Safe Harbor Statement

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act, as amended, that are based on management's beliefs, assumptions, current expectations, estimates and projections about the global automotive industry, the economy, and the Company itself. Words like "anticipates," "believes," "confident," "estimates," "expects," "forecasts," "hopes," "likely," "plans," "projects," "optimistic" and "should," and variations of such words and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. These statements do not guarantee future performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that are difficult to predict with regard to timing, expense, likelihood and degree of occurrence. These risks include, without limitation, the pace of economic activity in the United States and in international markets, employment and other general economic conditions; worldwide automotive production; the maintenance of the Company's market share; the ability to control costs, including the ability to achieve purchasing cost reductions, control and leverage fixed overhead costs, and maintain margins; the ability to control E,R&D and S,G&A expenses; customer inventory management; competitive pricing pressures; currency fluctuations; interest rates; equity prices; the financial strength/stability of the Company's customers (including their Tier 1 suppliers); potential impact of supply chain disruptions including but not limited to those caused by natural disasters and any other part shortages; potential sale of OEM business segments or suppliers; potential customer (including their Tier 1 suppliers) bankruptcies; the mix of products purchased by customers, the ability to continue to make product innovations; intellectual property litigation risk; the market for Rear Camera Display Mirrors and the success of those products; the success of certain other products (e.g. SmartBeam® and other camera-based product development); and other risks identified in the Company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Therefore, actual results and outcomes may materially differ from what is expressed or forecasted. Furthermore, the Company undertakes no obligation to update, amend, or clarify forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

About the Company

Founded in 1974, Gentex Corporation (NASDAQ: [ GNTX ]) is the leading supplier of automatic-dimming rearview mirrors and camera-based lighting-assist and driver-assist systems to the global automotive industry. The Company also provides commercial smoke alarms and signaling devices to the North American fire protection market, as well as dimmable aircraft windows for the commercial, business and general aviation markets. Based in Zeeland, Michigan, the international 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. More than half of the Company's interior mirrors are sold with advanced electronic features, and more than 98 percent of the Company's net sales are derived from the sale of auto-dimming mirrors to every major automaker in the world. Visit the Company's web site at [ www.gentex.com ].

Gentex currently is working to fill a significant number of manufacturing and technical positions, primarily in the electrical, software development and engineering areas. Additional information is available at [ http://www.gentex.com/careers/ ].