Gentex Awarded Contract With General Motors
18 December 1997
Gentex Awarded Contract With General Motors
ZEELAND, Mich., Dec. 18 _- Gentex Corporation ,
the Zeeland, Michigan-based manufacturer of automatic-dimming mirrors and fire
protection products, today announced that it recently concluded negotiations
with General Motors for a five-year, lifetime contract to supply
interior auto-dimming Night Vision Safety(TM) (NVS(R)) Mirrors for all of the
General Motors vehicle models for which Gentex currently supplies interior NVS
Mirrors, replacement programs for those models, as well as future vehicle
contracts previously awarded. All other terms of the contract will remain
confidential.
"Obviously, we are extremely pleased to have secured a major portion of
the General Motors business through the 2002 model year," said Gentex
Executive Vice President Kenneth La Grand. "General Motors is our largest
customer and, because of its safety-conscious attitude, it has been one of the
most progressive automakers to offer auto-dimming mirrors on its vehicles over
the past ten years. We are optimistic about our prospects for the future, and
believe that the terms of the agreement will significantly benefit both
General Motors and Gentex."
NVS Mirrors automatically darken precisely to the level required to reduce
glare from the headlamps of vehicles approaching from the rear. The brighter
the glare, the darker the mirrors become. Gentex supplies its patented auto-
dimming interior and exterior mirrors to General Motors for over 30 vehicle
models, including base-feature interior NVS Mirrors; interior NVS Lighted
Mirrors that have map lights in the base of the mirror's housing; interior NVS
Compass Mirrors and NVS Compass/Temperature Mirrors that incorporate the
PathPoint(TM) compass and outside temperature display technology developed and
patented by Prince, a Johnson Controls company; and flat and
convex exterior NVS Mirror sub-assemblies using regular- and thin-glass
structures. NVS exterior mirror sub-assemblies are shipped to exterior mirror
suppliers for final assembly and subsequent sale to General Motors. All of
these proprietary technologies, with the exception of the compass/temperature
display developed by Prince, were developed, patented by and are exclusively
available from Gentex Corporation.
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 (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 customers include Audi, Bentley, BMW, Chrysler,
Daewoo, Fiat, Ford, General Motors, Gulf States Toyota, Honda, Hyundai,
Infiniti, Kia Motors, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Opel, Porsche,
Rolls Royce and Southeast Toyota Distributors.
Founded in 1974, Gentex operates out of three facilities in Zeeland,
Michigan; an automotive sales and marketing office in Livonia, Michigan; an
automotive sales and engineering subsidiary in Germany; and five 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.
SOURCE Gentex Corporation