Gentex Corporation () is an American electronics and technology company that develops, designs and manufactures automatic-dimming rear-view mirrors, camera-based driver assistance systems, and other equipment for the global automotive industry. 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 for the North American fire protection market. Founded in 1974, Gentex Corporation is based in Zeeland, Michigan. They created the first dual-sensor photoelectric smoke detector, and pioneered electrochromic automatic-dimming mirrors for the automotive industry and smart windows 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. Gentex Corporation is considered a major player in the Fire Protection Systems Market. 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. Fire protection Gentex created the first dual-sensor photoelectric smoke detector, considered to be less prone to false alarms, 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 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 rear-view mirror that automatically adjusts to potentially dangerous glare conditions in 1982. Gentex began selling an automatic dimming mirror based on electrochromism 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