EXHIBIT 31.1
        CERTIFICATION OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF GENTEX COPORATION

I, Fred T. Bauer, certify that:

            1.    I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Gentex
                  Corporation;

            2.    Based on my knowledge, this quarterly report does not contain
                  any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a
                  material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light
                  of the circumstances under which such statements were made,
                  not misleading with respect to the period covered by this
                  quarterly report;

            3.    Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other
                  financial information included in this quarterly report,
                  fairly present in all material respects the financial
                  condition, results of operations and cash flows of the
                  registrant as of, and for, the periods, presented in this
                  quarterly report;

            4.    The registrant's other certifying officer and I are
                  responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure
                  controls and procedures [as defined in Exchange Act Rules
                  13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)] and internal control over financial
                  reporting [as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and
                  15d-15(f)] for the registrant and have:

                        a)    designed such disclosure controls and procedures,
                              or caused such disclosure controls and procedures
                              to be designed under our supervision, to ensure
                              that material information relating to the
                              registrant, including its consolidated
                              subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within
                              those entities, particularly during the period in
                              which this quarterly report is being prepared;

                        b)    designed such internal control over financial
                              reporting, or caused such internal control over
                              financial reporting to be designed under our
                              supervision, to provide reasonable assurance
                              regarding the reliability of financial reporting
                              and the preparation of financial statements for
                              external purposes in accordance with generally
                              accepted accounting principles;

                        c)    evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's
                              disclosure controls and procedures and presented
                              in this quarterly report our conclusions about the
                              effectiveness of the disclosure controls and
                              procedures, as of the end of the period covered by
                              this quarterly report based on such evaluation;
                              and

                        d)    disclosed in this quarterly report any change in
                              the registrant's internal control over financial
                              reporting that occurred during the registrant's
                              most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant's
                              fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual
                              report) that has materially affected, or is
                              reasonably likely to materially affect, the
                              registrant's internal control over financial
                              reporting; and;

            5.    The registrant's other certifying officer and I have
                  disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal
                  control over financial reporting, to the registrant's auditors
                  and the audit committee of the registrant's board of directors
                  (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

                        a)    all significant deficiencies and material
                              weaknesses in the design or operation of internal
                              control over financial reporting which are
                              reasonably likely to adversely affect the
                              registrant's ability to record, process, summarize
                              and report financial information; and

                        b)    any fraud, whether or not material, that involves
                              management or other employees who have a
                              significant role in the registrant's internal
                              control over financial reporting.

Date: August 2, 2005

                                                    /s/ Fred T. Bauer
                                                    ----------------------------
                                                    Fred T. Bauer
                                                    Chief Executive Officer