10 June 1999: US-based Gentex Corp. said it has entered into an extended supply agreement with DaimlerChrysler AG to provide interior electrochromic mirrors and exterior electrochromic mirror sub-asse…
10 June 1999: US-based Gentex Corp. said it has entered into an extended supply agreement with DaimlerChrysler AG to provide interior electrochromic mirrors and exterior electrochromic mirror sub-assemblies for the next several years. “We are very pleased that DaimlerChrysler has adopted a similar supply strategy to that of the old Chrysler Corp.,” said Gentex executive vice president Kenneth La Grand. The agreement ensures that Gentex mirrors will continue to be featured on all DaimlerChrysler vehicle models currently under contract, any replacement programmes for these vehicles, and any future contracts already awarded, Gentex said. The agreement is a lifetime contract up to the 2002 model year. All other terms of the agreement are confidential, it added. Gentex pioneered Night Vision Safety 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. “Since General Motors and DaimlerChrysler are our two largest customers and represent approximately 65% of our automotive business, obviously we are pleased to have these long-term partnerships in place,” said La Grand.