Deur Promoted to Gentex Executive Vice President

ZEELAND, Mich., Sept. 18 Gentex Corporation today announced that Garth Deur has been promoted to the position of Executive Vice President. Ken La Grand, the Company's current Executive Vice President, plans to retire in early 2003.

Deur joined Gentex in November 2000, and has served in the capacity of Senior Vice President since June of 2001. He now has responsibility for Purchasing and Logistics, Human Resources, Facilities Management, Legal, Accounting/Finance, Systems and Corporate Communications/Investor Relations.

Deur came to Gentex with an outstanding background and a number of years of automotive experience. He began his career by spending eight years with a public accounting firm in various auditing and business advisory positions. Following his tenure in public accounting, he joined auto interiors supplier Prince Corporation (which was purchased by Johnson Controls, Inc. in 1996) and served in various senior financial, manufacturing, and sales and business development roles.

Deur has a bachelor of arts degree from Calvin College (Grand Rapids, MI); an MBA from Grand Valley State University (Allendale, MI) and has earned his CPA from the State of Michigan. He is chairman of the Holland (MI) Area Chamber of Commerce and is also president of the Holland Christian Schools Foundation. He resides in Holland with his wife, Mary, and their two children.

La Grand joined Gentex in 1987 as the Company's executive vice president and member of the Company's board of directors. Since then, he has been an important part of the team that built a company with a market capitalization of over $2 billion, with sales growing from $14 million annually in 1987 to nearly $400 million in 2002.

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, 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, France and Korea; 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.