Gentex Named to BusinessWeek's List of Hot Growth Companies

ZEELAND, Mich., June 10 -- Gentex Corporation , the Zeeland, Michigan-based manufacturer of automatic-dimming rearview mirrors and commercial fire protection products, has once again been named to BusinessWeek's "Hot Growth Companies" list, which ranks the 100 fastest-growing publicly traded companies. It's the fourth time in five years that Gentex has made this prestigious list.

Gentex supplies automakers with interior and exterior automatic-dimming mirrors. These mirrors make nighttime driving safer by automatically detecting and eliminating rearview mirror glare from rearward-approaching vehicles. The mirrors are also sophisticated electronic modules, and often contain compass and temperature displays, driver interfaces, interior lighting, and value-added features such as voice-recognition microphones, garage door openers, and advanced headlamp control systems.

In the magazine's June 9 issue, BusinessWeek ranks Gentex 71st overall, with three-year average sales and earnings increases of 13.6 percent and 7.9 percent, respectively.

According to BusinessWeek, the list selection process begins by ranking companies according to their three-year results in sales growth, earnings growth, and return on invested capital. A company's composite rank is the sum of 0.5 times its rank in return on total capital plus 0.25 times its sales- and profit-growth ranks. To qualify, a company has to have annual sales between $50 million and $1.5 billion, a current market value greater than $25 million, a current stock price greater than $5, and be actively traded.

"To find a hot growth company in the automotive sector is a rare thing, but then Gentex isn't your typical automotive supplier," said Garth Deur, Gentex's executive vice president. "We're first and foremost an electronics company. We just happen to deliver a majority of our innovations through the rearview mirror, which, as it turns out, is an ideal location for sensors, displays, driver interfaces, interior lighting and other electronic devices."

Gentex Corporation (The Nasdaq Stock Market: GNTX) 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(R)) 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, DaimlerChrysler, Fiat, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Infiniti, Isuzu, Kia Motors, Lexus, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Opel, Renault Samsung, Rover, Rolls Royce, SsangYong Motors, Toyota and Volkswagen. Gentex accessory 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.

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