Gentex Corporation is an American electronics and technology company that develops, designs, and manufactures automatic-dimming

rear-view mirror A rear-view mirror (or rearview mirror) is a, usually plane mirror, flat, mirror in automobiles and other vehicles, designed to allow the driver to see rearward through the vehicle's rear window (rear windshield). In cars, the rear-view mirror ...

s, camera-based driver assistance systems, and other equipment for the

automotive industry The automotive industry comprises a wide range of company, companies and organizations involved in the design, Business development, development, manufacturing, marketing, selling, Maintenance, repairing, and Custom car, modification of motor ve ...

. They produce dimmable aircraft windows for the commercial, business and general aviation markets. In addition, the company produces photoelectric smoke detectors, signaling devices, and the

HomeLink Wireless Control System The HomeLink Wireless Control System is a radio frequency (RF) transmitter integrated into some automobiles that can be programmed to activate devices such as garage door openers, RF-controlled lighting, gates and locks, including those with r ...

for the North American fire protection market. Founded in 1974, Gentex Corporation is based in

Zeeland, Michigan Zeeland ( ) is a city in Ottawa County, Michigan, Ottawa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 5,719 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The city is located at the western edge of Zeeland Charter Township, Michigan, ...

. They created the first dual-sensor photoelectric smoke detector, and pioneered

electrochromic Electrochromism is a phenomenon in which a material displays changes in color or opacity in response to an electrical stimulus. In this way, a smart window made of an electrochromic material can block specific wavelengths of ultraviolet, vis ...

automatic-dimming mirrors for the automotive industry and

smart windows Smart glass, also known as switchable glass, dynamic glass, and smart-tinting glass, is a type of glass that can change its optical properties, becoming opaque or tinted, in response to electrical or thermal signals. This can be used to prevent s ...

for the aviation industry. Gentex has more than 1,700 patents on various technologies and products. In analyses of the industry in 2001, Gentex had the highest market-to-book value of any automotive supplier. As of 2020, about 98 percent of the company's sales are derived from the automotive market. As of 2018, less than 1 percent of the company's business comes from aerospace applications of dimmable windows.

History

Gentex was founded in 1974 by Fred Bauer as a manufacturer of fire protection products. Bauer became CEO of the company in May 1986, and also served as Chairman of the Board of Directors. He retired in 2018, and was succeeded by Steve Downing as CEO and by James Wallace as Chairman of the Board. In April 2025, Gentex acquired

Voxx International Voxx International Corporation was an American consumer electronics company founded as Audiovox Corporation in 1960, and renamed Voxx in 2012. It was headquartered in Orlando, Florida. The company specialized in four areas: OEM and after-mark ...

, growing their portfolio of automotive electronics while expanding into the automotive and consumer audio spaces.

Fire protection

Gentex created the first dual-sensor photoelectric

smoke detector A smoke detector is a device that senses smoke, typically as an indicator of fire. Smoke detectors/alarms are usually housed in plastic enclosures, typically shaped like a disk about in diameter and thick, but shape and size vary. Smoke can be ...

, considered to be less prone to

false alarm A false alarm, also called a nuisance alarm, is the deceptive or erroneous report of an emergency, causing unnecessary panic and/or bringing resources (such as emergency services) to a place where they are not needed. False alarms may occur with ...

s, while still quickly detecting smoldering fires. Gentex smoke detectors are used in hospitals, hotels, offices and other buildings worldwide. In the early 1990s, Gentex introduced a smoke detector equipped with a

strobe light A strobe light or stroboscopic lamp, commonly called a strobe, is a device used to produce regular flashes of light. It is one of a number of devices that can be used as a stroboscope. The word originated from the Ancient Greek ('), meaning ...

which is designed to alert deaf and hard of hearing individuals. Gentex manufactures a wide range of photoelectric detectors for fire alarm systems, standalone, and interconnect systems.

Automotive

Mirrors

Gentex first introduced a

that automatically adjusts to potentially dangerous

glare Glare may refer to: * Glare (vision), difficulty seeing in the presence of very bright light * Glaring, a facial expression of squinted eyes and look of contempt * A call collision in telecommunications * GLARE, Glass reinforced aluminium, an ...

conditions in 1982. Gentex began selling an automatic dimming mirror based on

electrochromism Electrochromism is a phenomenon in which a material displays changes in color or Opacity (optics), opacity in response to an voltage, electrical stimulus. In this way, a smart window made of an electrochromic material can block specific wavelen ...

in 1987. An electrochromic gel is placed between two pieces of glass, which allows the mirror to dim in proportion to the glare level. The reduction of glare eliminates the temporary blind spot caused by the Troxler effect after the glare source leaves the field of view. These mirrors have forward- and rearward-facing sensors to measure the ambient light level and glare of approaching vehicles, respectively. In 1991, exterior electrochromic mirrors were added to the Gentex product line. These mirrors operate on the same principle as the interior mirrors. In 1997 the geometry of the mirror's surface was adapted to create spherically curved glass with the goals of eliminating blind spots and offering an expanded field of view. Gentex introduced the Gentex Full Display Mirror, which provides a video display with a panoramic view of what is behind the vehicle.

Air quality and smoke detection

Gentex is expanding its smoke detection capabilities, developing sensing units for use in cars and other vehicles, to continuously sample air quality for smoke, vaping, and other airborne contaminants. Sensors in publicly used vehicles could have both sanitation and security applications.

Additional features

* Compass/Temperature display * Map light *

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* Tire pressure indicator * SmartBeam, the company's automatic headlight dimmer * Automotive grade microphones * Rear camera display (RCD) - a realtime panoramic view of the rear of the vehicle only when in reverse gear * Exterior mirror turn signal repeaters * Complex exterior mirror geometries

Aerospace

Gentex and

PPG PPG may stand for: Science and technology * Pacific Proving Grounds, a former US-operated nuclear test site * Photoplethysmograph, an optically obtained volumetric measurement of an organ * Pterygopalatine ganglion, one of the four Parasympathet ...

Aerospace have delivered

for the

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787 Dreamliner The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is an American wide-body airliner developed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. After dropping its unconventional Sonic Cruiser project, Boeing announced the conventional 7E7 on January 29, 2003, whi ...

. These windows use viologens and a

redox Redox ( , , reduction–oxidation or oxidation–reduction) is a type of chemical reaction in which the oxidation states of the reactants change. Oxidation is the loss of electrons or an increase in the oxidation state, while reduction is t ...

agent to adjust the amount of light that is allowed through the window, a similar technology to Gentex' auto-dimming rearview mirrors. The aircraft windows are electronically controlled: an electrical signal affects the action of a conductive medium between layers of glass. The windows can be adjusted by the passenger or crew to control the amount of light that enters, with five levels from completely clear to completely darkened. The windows are 60 percent larger than standard aircraft windows. The aircraft window was included in the exhibition ''Design Life Now: National Design Triennial'', which appeared at the Smithsonian's

Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum is a design museum at the Andrew Carnegie Mansion in Manhattan, New York City, along the Upper East Side's Museum Mile. It is one of 19 Smithsonian Institution museums and one of three Smithsonian facili ...

in New York City at the

Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston The Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) is an art museum and exhibition space located in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. The museum was founded as the Boston Museum of Modern Art in 1936. Since then it has gone through multiple name chang ...

in 2007. Gentex is also developing electronically dimmable windows for aircraft that are capable of automatically responding to changes in sunlight, adapting for example when an aircraft turns. The windows can darken to complete black-out capability in under 30 seconds. Gentex is AS9100 certified, an industry standard required by the majority of major aircraft manufacturers, and is capable of meeting production standards as an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) for aircraft.

References

External links

official Gentex website

2006 {{S&P 400 companies Auto parts suppliers of the United States Fire detection and alarm companies Manufacturing companies based in Michigan Zeeland, Michigan American companies established in 1974 Manufacturing companies established in 1974 1974 establishments in Michigan Companies listed on the Nasdaq Companies in the S&P 400