ZEELAND, Mich., April 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Gentex Corporation
(Nasdaq: GNTX), the leading supplier of automatic-dimming rearview mirrors to
the worldwide automotive industry, has received a prestigious 2005 Automotive
News PACE Award. The award was presented Monday night in a ceremony at
Detroit's Max Fisher Theater in recognition of SmartBeam(TM), the Company's
new, intelligent high-beam headlamp control system.
Gentex is a five-time winner of the PACE (Premier Automotive Suppliers'
Contribution to Excellence) Awards, which were started 11 years ago to
recognize premier automotive suppliers for their contributions to innovation,
technological advancement and business performance. The Company was one of 11
suppliers honored at this year's ceremony. Automotive News, Capgemini, and
the Transportation Research Center Inc. sponsor the awards program, with
additional support from the City of Sunderland and the Original Equipment
Suppliers Association.
Gentex is best known for its automatic-dimming rearview 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. Gentex mirrors often come integrated
with additional electronic features such as compass and temperature displays,
map lights, microphones, garage door openers, and now, SmartBeam.
SmartBeam uses a miniature camera-on-a-chip to maximize forward lighting
by automatically turning on the vehicle's high beams according to surrounding
traffic conditions. If it's dark enough and no other traffic is present,
SmartBeam will automatically turn on your high beams. The system reverts the
headlamps to their low-beam intensity when detecting either the headlamps or
taillamps of other vehicles.
This past November, SmartBeam was also recognized as one of Popular
Science magazine's "Best of What's New" Technologies.
"High-beams are probably the most underutilized safety feature on vehicles
today," said Gentex Executive Vice President Garth Deur. "SmartBeam optimizes
forward lighting by automating high-beam usage. It's perhaps the simplest and
most cost-effective way to substantially upgrade vehicle lighting systems.
"SmartBeam is an outgrowth of years of Gentex research into vehicular
camera systems and related technologies, so we're excited to be recognized for
our efforts by the industry's premier awards program."
Deur said that SmartBeam debuted in the 2005 model year on the Jeep Grand
Cherokee and the Cadillac STS. Both automakers have identified 2006 model
year programs that will offer SmartBeam, and the Company is also working with
a European automaker for several vehicle models that will start production in
early calendar 2006.
Founded in 1974, Gentex Corporation (The Nasdaq Stock Market: GNTX) 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 more than 95 percent of the Company's
revenues are derived from the sales of auto-dimming mirrors to nearly every
major automaker in the world.
SOURCE Gentex Corporation
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Related links:
http://www.gentex.com
CONTACT:
FINANCIAL MEDIA AND INVESTOR CONTACT: Connie
Hamblin, +1-616-772-1800, or GENERAL MEDIA CONTACT: Craig
Piersma, +1-616-772-1800, both of Gentex Corporation
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