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Gentex Names Deur Vice President

2 January 2001

Gentex Names Deur Vice President

    ZEELAND, Mich., Jan. 2 Gentex Corporation
today announced that it has appointed Garth Deur, 44, to the position of Vice
President - Business Development and Planning.  Deur's role in that position
will be to assist Gentex Chairman Fred Bauer and Executive Vice President
Kenneth La Grand as they prepare for the Company's next major growth phase.
    Deur comes to Gentex with an outstanding background and a number of years
of automotive experience.  He began his career by spending eight years with
Arthur Andersen and Company in various auditing and business advisory
positions; he is a Certified Public Accountant.  Following his tenure in
public accounting, he joined auto interiors supplier Prince Corporation (which
was purchased by Johnson Controls, Inc. in 1996) and served in various senior
financial, manufacturing, and sales and business development roles.
    He has a bachelor of arts degree from Calvin College (Grand Rapids, MI);
an MBA from Grand Valley State University (Allendale, MI) and has earned his
CPA from the State of Michigan.  Deur serves on the Executive Committee of the
Holland (MI) Area Chamber of Commerce and is also president of the Holland
Christian Schools Foundation.
    Deur resides in Holland with his wife, Mary, and two children.
    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 OEM customers include Audi, Bentley, BMW, Daewoo,
DaimlerChrysler, Fiat, Ford, General Motors, Hyundai, Infiniti, Kia Motors,
Lexus, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Opel, Porsche, Rover, Rolls Royce and Toyota.
Gentex aftermarket/distributor 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 and France;
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.