Gentex Receives Excellent Quality Award from Toyota

Gentex Corporation the U.S.-based supplier of automatic-dimming mirrors to the worldwide automotive industry, has received the “Excellent Quality Award” from Toyota Motor Manufacturing North America (TMMNA). This is the fifth year in a row Gentex was recognized by Toyota for exceeding their quality requirements, and the second time Gentex received the Excellent Award. Gentex was one of 45 suppliers recognized for meeting Toyota’s highest standards in quality, delivery, and value improvement for parts and materials in 2005.

The award was presented to Gentex at Toyota’s recent Annual Business Meeting and Awards Ceremony, which brought together the automaker’s approximately 500 North American suppliers to share expectations for the coming business year and to recognize outstanding supplier performance.

Gentex supplies Toyota with interior and exterior automatic-dimming 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.

“Toyota views our suppliers as business partners and together we have improved our efforts in quality, delivery, and value,” said Osamu “Simon” Nagata, vice president of purchasing for TMMNA. “Thanks to their outstanding focus for the past 20 years, Toyota has had growth and success in North America.”

Toyota produces ten vehicles in North America and Gentex auto-dimming interior and exterior mirrors are available on all ten models either as standard, optional or accessory features.

“Toyota vehicles are known for their quality and commitment to safety, so it’s especially meaningful to be recognized by Toyota for this quality award,” said Garth Deur, Gentex executive vice president. “It is also important to note that Gentex supplies to Toyota plants in Japan through TMMNA, where quality requirements are also among the highest.”

Founded in 1974, Gentex Corporation (NASDAQ: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 approximately 95 percent of the Company’s revenues are derived from the sales of auto-dimming mirrors to nearly every major automaker in the world.