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Gentex Supplies Auto-Dimming Mirror System for the New GMC Denali

3 March 1998

Gentex Supplies Auto-Dimming Mirror System for the New GMC Denali

    ZEELAND, Mich., March 2 -- Gentex Corporation ,
the Zeeland, Michigan-based manufacturer of automatic-dimming mirrors and fire
protection products, today announced that it has begun shipping automatic-
dimming mirror systems for the Denali, GMC's new upscale sport-utility vehicle
(SUV).
    Gentex pioneered Night Vision Safety(TM) (NVS(R)) Mirrors, which
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 Denali joins the 1998 Chevrolet and GMC Suburbans, and the GMC Yukon
and Chevrolet Tahoe, as one of the only vehicles in the world to offer
Gentex's new three-mirror NVS system.  The system incorporates Gentex's new
lightweight exterior NVS sub-assemblies and its new interior NVS
Compass/Temperature Mirror.  The compass and outside-temperature display
features were developed in cooperation with Prince, a Johnson Controls
company, and incorporate their patented PathPoint(TM) technology.
    The Denali also comes equipped with a daytime running lights (DRL)
feature, which upon ignition, automatically turns on the vehicle's front
headlights to 75 percent power.  On most vehicles with DRL, drivers must
manually turn on the vehicle's exterior lighting system when it gets dark,
bringing the front headlamps to 100 percent power and illuminating the
taillights.  However, the Denali's interior NVS mirror contains a sensor that
overrides the vehicle's DRL system and automatically turns on the vehicle's
exterior lighting system to full power at twilight.
    "The Denali is a big and bold SUV, and we're proud to contribute to its
overall safety with one of the world's most advanced and comprehensive three-
mirror NVS systems," said Gentex Executive Vice President Kenneth La Grand.
Automatic-dimming mirrors are an important feature for trucks and SUVs since
their exterior mirrors are larger and may reflect a significant amount of
glare into the driver's eyes.  An NVS system, with an interior mirror and
driver's- and passenger's-side exterior mirrors, eliminates virtually 100
percent of this glare.
    The new NVS flat and convex exterior mirrors use thin glass technology and
processes that were developed by Gentex to reduce each exterior mirror's
weight by up to 50 percent.  This is important, since truck and SUV exterior
mirrors tend to be large and thus more prone to vibration than smaller
mirrors.  Exterior automatic-dimming mirrors using thin glass are available to
automakers exclusively from Gentex, and General Motors is the first
automaker to utilize this breakthrough technology on its vehicles.
    Gentex recently signed a five-year, lifetime contract with GM to supply
interior auto-dimming mirrors for all vehicle models for which Gentex
currently supplies interior NVS Mirrors, replacement programs for those
models, as well as future vehicle contracts previously awarded.
    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(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.  The Company's Automotive Products Group is ISO 9001 registered
and is in compliance with QS-9000, quality designations that soon will be
required to supply production or service parts to automakers.
    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