Gentex Opens Office in Nagoya, Japan
12 May 1998
Gentex, Manufacturer of Automatic-Dimming Mirrors, Opens Office in Nagoya
ZEELAND, Mich., May 12 -- Gentex Corporation ,
the Zeeland, Michigan, USA-based manufacturer of automatic-dimming mirrors and
fire protection products, today announced that it has opened a sales and
engineering office in Nagoya, Japan.
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 newly formed Gentex Japan, Inc., will house sales and engineering
operations designed to serve the Company's automotive customers throughout
Japan and the Asia/Pacific region. The office will be directed by General
Manager Kazuhiko ("Hiko") Nishijima, who has worked in the automotive industry
for over ten years, and has significant experience in the sale of original
equipment in both North America and Japan. He has a Master' Degree in
Business Administration from Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant,
Michigan, USA.
"When we first entered the Asia/Pacific region seven years ago, we sold
our mirrors through third parties," said Gentex Executive Vice President
Kenneth La Grand. "Our subsequent sales growth, however, demanded that we one
day establish a local presence in the market. We're pleased to announce that
through our Nagoya office, we're now poised to more effectively meet the
unique service, design and engineering needs of our current and future
automotive customers throughout the region."
Gentex supplies interior auto-dimming mirrors to major Japanese
manufacturers like Toyota, Mitsubishi and Honda, and also sells mirror
sub-assemblies to Tier 1 automotive mirror suppliers Ichikoh and Tokai Rika.
NVS Mirrors currently are available as a dealer-installed option on all Nissan
passenger cars in Japan, and are factory-installed options on six Nissan and
Infiniti models, six Lexus models and four Honda models. Gentex has shipped
over 500,000 NVS Mirrors to Japan since 1992.
"While the domestic market in Japan is still weak, we believe that there
are significant opportunities in the future," said La Grand. "In fact, our
NVS Mirrors are slated to be standard equipment on a high-volume vehicle for
the domestic Japan market within the next 18 months. Up until now, all of our
mirrors have been optional equipment, which were either factory- or dealer-
installed. This is the first application where NVS Mirrors will be standard
equipment, and we are optimistic that other Japanese automakers will follow
suit."
Nishijima said that Japanese automakers have become even more safety
conscious and competitive, and consumers are drawn to vehicle models that
offer many safety features, such as NVS Mirrors.
"As our business continues to grow, our new office will facilitate the
required around-the-clock communications with our Japanese customers," said
Nishijima. "We look forward to providing even higher levels of customer
service."
Gentex NVS Mirror unit shipments to customers outside North America
increased by 50 percent last year, representing 32 percent of all units
shipped in 1997. In the first quarter of 1998, these shipments further
increased by 43 percent compared with the first quarter of 1997. Currently,
approximately six percent of the Company's revenues come from customers in the
Asia/Pacific region.
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.
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 office in Livonia, Michigan; automotive sales
and engineering subsidiaries in Germany and Japan; 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