ZEELAND, MI--(Marketwired - Mar 11, 2016) - Gentex Corporation (NASDAQ: GNTX) received an inaugural GM Innovation award during General Motors' 24^th annual Supplier of the Year awards ceremony held Thursday, March 10, at Cobo Center in Detroit. Gentex was also named a 2015 GM Supplier of the Year, an honor it has now received 17 times.

Gentex is a leading supplier of vision-enhancing technologies to the global automotive industry and a long-time supplier to General Motors.

GM debuted the Innovation award to recognize five suppliers among thousands globally that brought new innovations to the company that benefit its customers. Specifically, Gentex was named one of the inaugural Innovation award winners for its all-new Full Display Mirror™ (FDM™), an intelligent rear vision system that uses a rearward-facing camera and mirror-integrated video display to optimize a vehicle's rearward view.

"We're incredibly honored to receive one of the first-ever GM Innovation awards," said Gentex Senior Vice President and CFO Steve Downing. "Our FDM is the first commercially viable, NHTSA-approved display mirror. It's quickly becoming the industry benchmark for enhanced rear vision, and we're proud to have worked with GM to bring it to market."

During the event, Gentex was also named a 2015 GM Supplier of the Year. GM recognized 110 of its best suppliers from 17 countries that have consistently exceeded GM's expectations, created outstanding value, or introduced new innovations to the company.

GM recognized the most suppliers since debuting the Supplier of the Year event in 1992, representing a nearly 40 percent increase compared to 79 recipients in 2014. More than half are repeat Supplier of the Year winners from 2014. Gentex is among this group, and in addition to winning in 2014, has won a total of 17 times out of the program's 24-year history.
"We are focused on building positive supplier relationships, bringing new, customer-centric innovations to GM, and being the OEM of choice among suppliers," said Steve Kiefer, GM vice president, Global Purchasing and Supply Chain. "The companies we recognize tonight not only have brought innovation, they delivered it with the quality our customers deserve."

The Gentex FDM, which was recently reviewed and approved by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, offers a unique bi-modal functionality. In mirror mode, the product functions as a standard auto-dimming rearview mirror using digital light sensors and a microprocessor to automatically darken the mirror when glare is detected. But with the flip of a lever, the mirror enters display mode, and a clear, bright, LCD display appears through the mirror's reflective surface, providing a wide, unobstructed rearward view. www.gentex.com/fdm/

Founded in 1974, Gentex Corporation (NASDAQ: GNTX) is a supplier of automatic-dimming rearview mirrors and electronics to the automotive industry, dimmable aircraft windows for aviation markets, and fire protection products to the fire protection market. Visit the company website at www.gentex.com.

General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) (TSX: GMM) and its partners produce vehicles in 30 countries, and the company has leadership positions in the world's largest and fastest-growing automotive markets. GM, its subsidiaries and joint venture entities sell vehicles under the Chevrolet, Cadillac, Baojun, Buick, GMC, Holden, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling brands. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety, security and information services, can be found at http://www.gm.com