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 Mirrors Ltd. will house sales and engineering operations designed to serve the Company's automotive customers throughout the United Kingdom and Europe. Managing Director Robert Steel, who recently joined Gentex as an employee after working for the Company as an independent sales representative for the past 10 years, will direct the office. Steel graduated from Coventry Technical College and has held a variety of positions within the automotive industry, including seven years in purchasing at Jaguar.

Gentex NVS Mirror unit shipments to customers outside North America increased by 18 percent last year, representing approximately 30 percent of all units shipped in 1998. For the first nine months of 1999, these shipments further increased by 21 percent compared with the same period in 1998. Currently, approximately 25 percent of the Company's revenues come from customers in Europe.

Over the years, Gentex has developed a host of automatic-dimming rearview mirror products with advanced electronic features, such as compass and temperature displays, remote keyless entry receivers, and light-emitting diode map lamps. Soon to be introduced are mirrors that serve as the interface for a global positioning system, display individual tire pressure, and act as a remote control for activating garage doors and other electronic devices.