Gentex Corporation - SEC Filing

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Registration No. _______

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
_______________

FORM S-8
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

GENTEX CORPORATION
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)



Michigan (State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization)		38-2030505 (IRS Employer Identification Number)

600 N. Centennial Street Zeeland, Michigan (Address of Principal Executive Offices)		49464 (Zip Code)

Gentex Corporation Employee Stock Option Plan
(Full Title of the Plan)



Kevin Nash Gentex Corporation 600 N. Centennial Street Zeeland, Michigan 49464 (Name and Address of Agent for Service)	Copies to:	Joe Levan Varnum LLP 333 Bridge Street N.W., Suite 1700 Grand Rapids, Michigan 49504

(616) 772-1800
(Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent for Service)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, and accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer," and "smaller reporting company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):



Large accelerated filer	X	Accelerated filer
Non-accelerated filer		Smaller Reporting Company

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE



Title of Securities to be Registered		Amount to be Registered	Proposed Maximum Offering Price Per Share⁽³⁾	Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price⁽³⁾	Amount of Registration Fee
Common Stock, $.06 par value ⁽¹⁾		4,522,420 shares⁽²⁾	$20.75	$93,840,215	$10,876.08
(1)	This Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the “Registration Statement”) covers a total of 4,522,420 shares of Common Stock, par value $0.06 (“Common Stock”) of Gentex Corporation (“Gentex” or the “Registrant”) issuable under the Gentex Corporation Employee Stock Option Plan (the "Plan").
(2)	In addition, pursuant to Rule 416 under the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement also covers such indeterminate number of additional shares as may be authorized in the event of an adjustment as a result of an increase in the number of issued shares of Common Stock resulting from the payment of stock dividends or stock splits or certain other capital adjustments.
(3)	The offering price per share and the aggregate offering price are based upon the average of the high and low prices of the Registrant’s Common Stock as reported on the NASDAQ Global Select Market on February 21, 2017, in accordance with Rule 457(c) of the Securities Act.

PART I

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

The documents containing the information specified in Part I of Form S-8 will be sent or given to employees in accordance with Rule 428(b)(1) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). Such documents are not required to be, and are not, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, either as part of this registration statement or as a prospectus or prospectus supplement pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act. These documents and the documents incorporated by reference in this registration statement pursuant to Item 3 of Part II of Form S-8, taken together, constitute a prospectus that meets the requirements of Section 10(a) of the Securities Act.

PART II

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT



Item 3.	Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

The following documents filed by the Registrant with the Securities and Exchange Commission are incorporated in this registration statement by reference:

(a) The Registrant's latest annual report filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act").

(b) All other reports filed by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act since the end of the fiscal year covered by the annual report referred to in (a) above.

(c) The description of the Registrant's common stock, $.06 par value, which is contained in the Registrant's registration statement filed under Section 12 of the Exchange Act, including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description.

All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment that indicates that all securities offered have been sold or that deregisters all securities remaining unsold shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this registration statement and to be a part of this registration statement from the date of filing of such documents.



Item 4.	Description of Securities.

The class of securities to be offered is registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act.



Item 5.	Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

Not applicable.



Item 6.	Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

The Registrant is obligated under its Amended and Restated Bylaws, as amended to date, to indemnify its directors and executive officers to the full extent permitted under the Michigan Business Corporation Act (the "MBCA"). The Registrant may similarly indemnify persons who are not directors or executive officers to the extent authorized by the Registrant's Board of Directors.

Under Sections 561 through 571 of the MBCA, directors and officers of a Michigan corporation may be entitled to indemnification by the corporation. The MBCA provides for indemnification of directors and officers if they acted in good faith and in a manner they reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Registrant or its shareholders (and, if a criminal proceeding, if they had no reasonable cause to believe their conduct was unlawful) against: (a) expenses (including attorneys' fees), judgments, penalties, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred in connection with any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding (other than an action by or in the right of the Registrant) arising

out of a position with the Registrant (or with some other entity at the Registrant's request); and (b) expenses (including attorneys' fees) and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred in connection with any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the Registrant, unless the director or officer is found liable to the Registrant; provided that an appropriate court could determine that he or she is nevertheless fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for reasonable expenses incurred. The MBCA requires indemnification for expenses to the extent that a director or officer is successful in defending against any such action, suit or proceeding.

The MBCA generally requires that the indemnification provided for in (a) and (b) above be made only on a determination that the director or officer met the applicable standard of conduct (i) by a majority vote of a quorum of the board of directors who were not parties or threatened to be made parties to the action, suit or proceeding; (ii) if a quorum cannot be so obtained, by a majority vote of a committee of not less than two disinterested directors; (iii) by independent legal counsel; (iv) by all independent directors not parties or threatened to be made parties to the action, suit or proceeding; or (v) by the shareholders (excluding shares held by interested directors, officers, employees or agents). If the articles of incorporation include a provision eliminating or limiting the liability of a director, however, a corporation may indemnify a director for certain expenses and liabilities without a determination that the director met the applicable standards of conduct, unless the director received a financial benefit to which he or she was not entitled, intentionally inflicted harm on the corporation or its shareholders, violated Section 551 of the MBCA or intentionally committed a criminal act. In connection with an action by or in the right of the corporation, such indemnification may be for expenses (including attorneys' fees) actually and reasonably incurred. In connection with an action, suit or proceeding other than an action, suit or proceeding by or in the right of the corporation, such indemnification may be for expenses (including attorneys' fees) actually and reasonably incurred, and for judgments, penalties, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred.

In certain circumstances, the MBCA further permits advances to cover such expenses before a final disposition of the proceeding, upon receipt of an undertaking, which need not be secured and which may be accepted without reference to the financial ability of the person to make repayment, by or on behalf of the director or officer to repay such amounts if it shall ultimately be determined that he or she has not met the applicable standard of conduct. If a provision in the articles of incorporation or bylaws, a resolution of the board or shareholders, or an agreement makes indemnification mandatory, then the advancement of expenses is also mandatory, unless the provision, resolution or agreement specifically provides otherwise.

Indemnification under the MBCA is not exclusive of other rights to indemnification to which a person may be entitled under the Registrant's Amended and Restated Bylaws or a contractual agreement. However, the total amount of expenses advanced or indemnified from all sources may not exceed the amount of actual expenses incurred by the person seeking indemnification or advancement of expenses. The indemnification provided for under the MBCA continues as to a person who ceases to be a director or executive officer.

The MBCA permits the Registrant to purchase insurance on behalf of its directors and officers against liabilities arising out of their positions with the Registrant (or positions held with another entity at the request of the Registrant), whether or not such liabilities would be within the above indemnification provisions. Pursuant to this authority, the Registrant maintains such insurance on behalf of its directors and officers.

The Registrant has entered into indemnity agreements with each of its directors and executive officers. The agreements provide that the Registrant will indemnify the director or executive officer, subject to certain limitations, for expenses and costs, including the satisfaction of a judgment, fine or penalty incurred in, or in any amount paid in settlement of, any proceeding brought by reason of the fact that the indemnitee is or was a director or executive officer of the Registrant or is or was serving at the request of the Registrant as a director or executive officer or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, or other enterprise, whether for profit or not, specifically including, not by way of limitation, any action related to certification of financial and other reports under the federal securities laws, if such expenses and costs may be indemnified under the MBCA. The agreements are designed to provide the maximum protection allowed under federal and Michigan law. Indemnification is dependent upon the director meeting the applicable standards of conduct set forth in the indemnity agreements.



Item 7.	Exemption from Registration Claimed.

Not applicable.



Item 8.	Exhibits.

Reference is made to the Exhibit Index which appears on Page 7.



Item 9.	Undertakings.

(a) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:

(i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the Registration Statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the Registration Statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the "Calculation of Registration Fee" table in the effective Registration Statement; and

(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the Registration Statement or any material change to such information in the Registration Statement;

provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement;

(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof;

(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering; and

(4) That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned Registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned Registrant pursuant to this Registration Statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned Registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:

(i) Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned Registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;

(ii) Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned Registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned Registrant;

(iii) The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned Registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned Registrant; and

(iv) Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned Registrant to the purchaser.

(b) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the Registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer, or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit, or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer, or controlling person in connection with

the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

SIGNATURES

The Registrant. Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Zeeland, State of Michigan, on this 27th day of February, 2017.



	GENTEX CORPORATION (Registrant)
	/s/ Steve Downing
	Steve Downing, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW BY ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Fred T. Bauer and Steve Downing, and each of them, as attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and re-substitution, for and in the name, place and stead of the undersigned, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this registration statement, and to sign any registration statement for the same offering covered by this registration statement that is to be effective upon filing pursuant to Rule 462(b) promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, and all post-effective amendments thereto, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and all documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as the undersigned might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that each said attorney-in-fact and agent, or any such substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated.



Date: February 16, 2017	/s/ Fred T. Bauer
	Fred T. Bauer, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer)

Date: February 16, 2017	/s/ Steve Downing
	Steve Downing, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer)

Date: February 16, 2017	/s/ Kevin Nash
	Kevin Nash, Vice President - Accounting and Chief Accounting Officer (Principal Accounting Officer)

Date: February 16, 2017	/s/ Gary Goode
	Gary Goode, Director

Date: February 16, 2017	/s/ James Hollars
	James Hollars, Director

Date: February 16, 2017	/s/ John Mulder
	John Mulder, Director

Date: February 16, 2017	/s/ Leslie Brown
	Leslie Brown, Director

Date: February 16, 2017	/s/ Richard Schaum
	Richard Schaum, Director

Date: February 16, 2017	/s/ Fred Sotok
	Fred Sotok, Director

Date: February 16, 2017	/s/ Pete Hoekstra
	Pete Hoekstra, Director

Date: February 16, 2017	/s/ James Wallace
	James Wallace, Director

EXHIBIT INDEX



Exhibit Number		Document

4.1		Registrant’s Restated Articles of Incorporation, adopted on August 20, 2004, and as amended to date, were filed as Exhibit 3(a) to Registrant’s Report on Form 10-Q dated November 2, 2004, and an Amendment to Registrant's Articles of Incorporation adopted as of May 18, 2012, was filed as Exhibit 3.1(i) to Registrant's Form 8-K dated May 22, 2012, and the same is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

4.2		Registrant’s Bylaws as amended and restated February 27, 2003, was filed as Exhibit 3(b)(1) to Registrant’s report on Form 10-Q dated May 5, 2003, and an Amendment to Registrant’s Bylaws adopted as of February 16, 2012, was filed as Exhibit 3(b)(ii) to Registrant’s Form 8-K dated February 21, 2012, and the same is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

4.3		A specimen form of certificate for the Registrant’s common stock, par value $.06 per share, was filed as part of a Registration Statement (Registration Number 2-74226C) as Exhibit 3(a), as amended by Amendment No. 3 to such Registration Statement, and the same is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

5		Opinion of Varnum LLP.

23.1		Consent of Ernst & Young LLP.

23.2		Consent of Varnum LLP (included in Exhibit 5 and incorporated herein by reference).

24		Powers of Attorney (included on the signature page to this Registration Statement).

99.1		Gentex Corporation Second Restricted Stock Plan was filed as Appendix B to the Registrant's Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A, filed on April 12, 2001, and an Amendment to the Gentex Corporation Second Restricted Stock Plan was filed as Appendix B to the Registrant's Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A, filed on April 10, 2008, and a Second Amendment to the Gentex Corporation Second Restricted Stock Plan was filed as Appendix C to the Registrant's Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A, filed on April 2, 2015, and the same are hereby incorporated herein by reference.

Exhibit

Exhibit 4.2

GENTEX CORPORATION

RESTATED ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION

ARTICLE III

The total number of shares of all classes of stock which the corporation shall have the authority to issue is 405,000,000 shares, consisting of 400,000,000 shares of Common Stock, par value $.06 per share, and 5,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock, no par value.

The authorized shares of Common Stock of the par value of $.06 per share are all of one class with equal voting power, and each such share shall be equal to every other such share.

The shares of Preferred Stock may be divided into and issued in one or more series. The Board of Directors is hereby authorized to cause the Preferred Stock to be issued from time to time in one or more series with such designations and such relative voting, dividend, liquidation, and other rights, preferences, and limitations as shall be stated and expressed in the resolution providing for the issue of such Preferred Stock adopted by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors by vote of a majority of the whole Board, is expressly authorized to adopt such resolution or resolutions and issue such stock from time to time as it may deem desirable.

Exhibit

Exhibit 5

February 27, 2017

Gentex Corporation

600 N. Centennial Street

Zeeland, Michigan 49464



	Re:	Registration Statement on Form S-8 Relating to the Gentex Corporation Employee Stock Option Plan (the "Plan")

Ladies and Gentlemen:

With respect to the Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the "Registration Statement") filed or to be filed by Gentex Corporation, a Michigan corporation (the "Company"), with the Securities and Exchange Commission on or about the date of this letter for the purpose of registering under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, 4,522,420 shares of the Company's common stock, $0.06 par value per share, for issuance pursuant to the Plan, we have examined such documents and questions of law we consider necessary or appropriate for the purpose of giving this opinion.

On the basis of such evaluation, we advise you that, in our opinion, the 4,522,420 shares of common stock covered by the Registration Statement, upon delivery of such shares and payment for such shares in accordance with the terms stated in the Plan and the Registration Statement, will be duly and legally authorized, issued and outstanding, and fully paid and non-assessable.

We consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement.



	Very truly yours,

	VARNUM LLP


	By	/s/ Joseph B. Levan
		Joseph B. Levan

Exhibit

Exhibit 23.1

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

We consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statement on Form S-8 pertaining to the Gentex Corporation Employee Stock Option Plan of our reports dated February 22, 2017, with respect to the consolidated financial statements of Gentex Corporation and Subsidiaries, and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting of Gentex Corporation and Subsidiaries, included in its Annual Report (Form 10-K) for the year ended December 31, 2016, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.



	Ernst & Young LLP

Grand Rapids, Michigan
February 27, 2017