Gentex Begins Shipping Automatic-Dimming Mirrors For Matrix and Corrola

ZEELAND, Mich., April 8 Gentex Corporation, the Zeeland, Michigan-based manufacturer of automatic-dimming rearview mirrors and commercial fire protection products, has begun shipping interior automatic- dimming rearview mirrors for the Toyota Corolla and the all-new Matrix.

These vehicles represent a milestone for Gentex, marking the first time the Company's mirrors have been offered on North American compact vehicles.

Gentex's Night Vision Safety Mirrors are active, crash- avoidance safety features. They 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.

The Gentex mirrors are available on the LE version of the Corolla and the XRS version of the Matrix. They're also available as a stand-alone feature through several dealer installation programs.

In addition to automatically dimming upon detecting glare, the mirrors contain a compass display and map lamps that feature the Company's patented ``white light'' LED technology.

``Last summer our mirrors debuted on the Camry, and now they're available on the Corolla and Matrix,'' said Ken La Grand, Gentex executive vice president. ``This means automatic-dimming mirrors have successfully penetrated each segment of the market and now can be found on nearly every vehicle type: from luxury cars and SUVs to mid-sized and compact vehicles. Historically, once you break into a new vehicle segment, it opens the door for increased sales and application rates.

``There's more glare on the road today than ever before,'' continued La Grand. ``The higher-mounted headlamps of trucks and SUVs, high-intensity discharge lamps, the increased number of vehicles on the road -- for these and other reasons, the time is right for our glare-elimination technology, especially for smaller cars.''

Gentex Corporation is an international company that provides high-quality products to the worldwide automotive industry and North American fire protection market. The Company develops, manufactures and markets proprietary electro-optic products, including interior and exterior electrochromic, automatic-dimming Night Vision Safety(TM) (NVS®) automotive rearview mirrors that dim in proportion to the amount of headlight glare from trailing vehicle headlamps, and an extensive line of fire protection products for commercial applications.

Gentex was the first company in the world to successfully develop and produce a commercial electrochromic mirror for the motor vehicle industry. The Company is the leading supplier of these mirrors to the worldwide automotive industry. Gentex OEM customers include Audi, Bentley, BMW, Daewoo, DaimlerChrysler, Fiat, Ford, General Motors, Hyundai, Infiniti, Kia Motors, Lexus, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Opel, Rover, Rolls Royce, Samsung Motors, SsangYong Motors, Toyota and Volkswagen. Gentex aftermarket/distributor customers include Gulf States Toyota Distributors, Mito Corporation, Southeast Toyota Distributors, Subaru Distributors NE and Toyota Motor Sales USA.

Founded in 1974, Gentex operates out of four facilities in Zeeland, Michigan; an automotive sales office in Livonia, Michigan; automotive sales and engineering subsidiaries in Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and France; and four regional U.S. sales offices for the Fire Protection Products Group. The Company is recognized for its quality products, its application of world class manufacturing principles, for its commitment to developing and maintaining a highly skilled workforce, and for encouraging employee ownership of the Company's stock.