Gentex Authorizes Additional Share Repurchases

ZEELAND, Mich., May 16, 2006 -- Gentex Corporation, the Zeeland, Michigan-based manufacturer of automatic-dimming rearview mirrors and commercial fire protection products, today announced that the Company's Board of Directors has authorized the repurchase of an additional eight million shares of the Company's stock, under the existing terms of its current share repurchase plan. As of March 31, 2006, the Company had repurchased approximately 5.2 million of the eight million shares previously authorized under the plan.

Under the plan, the Company may, from time to time, purchase up to an additional eight million shares of its common stock based on a number of factors, including market conditions, the market price of the Company's common stock, anti-dilutive effect on earnings, available cash and other factors as the Company deems appropriate.

"We believe that the long-term, solid fundamentals of Gentex have not changed, and that the Company's current share price does not properly reflect the Company's prospects for the future," said Gentex Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer Fred Bauer. "The Company has strong cash flow, and share repurchases remain a tax-efficient way to return cash to our shareholders. This share repurchase plan signifies our confidence in the long-term prospects for the Company."

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 belief, assumptions, current expectations, estimates and projections about the Company's share price, the global automotive industry, the economy, cash flow, future growth prospects, the impact of stock option expenses on earnings, the ability to leverage fixed manufacturing overhead costs, unit shipment growth rates, and the Company itself. Words like "anticipates," "believes," "confident," "estimates," "expects," "forecast," "likely," "plans," "projects," 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, employment and general economic conditions, the pace of economic recovery in the U.S. and in international markets, the pace of automotive production worldwide, the types of products purchased by customers, competitive pricing pressures, currency fluctuations, the financial strength of the Company's customers, the mix of products purchased by customers, the ability to continue to make product innovations, the success of newly introduced products (e.g. SmartBeam), and other risks identified in the Company's 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 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 approximately 96 percent of the Company's revenues are derived from the sales of auto-dimming mirrors to nearly every major automaker in the world.