13 Facts About Vestron Inc

The most notable titles Vestron Inc released were Dirty Dancing, Monster Squad, and An American Werewolf in London.

Vestron Inc was the first company to release National Geographic and PBS' Nova videos in the late 1980s, mostly distributed by Image Entertainment, and was the first to market with a pro wrestling video, Pro Wrestling Illustrated Presents Lords of the Ring.

In 1983, Vestron Inc signed an agreement to license several of the films from Sherwood Productions, which was to be served for US and Canadian video distribution.

Also that year, Vestron Inc signed a deal to pick up several feature films from Artists Releasing Corporation, namely Vigilante and The House on Sorority Row.

Vestron Inc went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 1985 with what was, at the time, a large market cap initial public offering of $440 million, which was oversubscribed.

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On June 25,1986, the company had inked an agreement with film producer and distributor Hemdale Film Corporation, whereas Vestron Inc would obtain home video rights to the Hemdale film library, for the North American region, such as Platoon, in an extension of the previous licensing agreement that saw the company to release films like Hoosiers and At Close Range.

In 1986, Vestron Inc was rumored to buy independent film distributor Producers Sales Organization, but the deal collapsed, shut PSO down outright, forced into bankruptcy, and instead launched Producers Distribution Organization, with its PSO employees hired by the studio.

Vestron Inc was then renamed Producers Distribution International, then Interaccess Film Distribution, the foreign sales firm that was controlled by the studio on October 8,1986, and reflects the company's commitment to provide an international network of distributors, with access of quality, independently produced product.

On November 26,1986, Vestron Inc rejected a takeover bid from the magazine publisher National Lampoon, of which they tried to purchase earlier that year, and Vestron Inc and National Lampoon received 1985 revenue, and seeking other alternatives in a takeover bid.

In July 1987, Vestron Inc had exercised an option to purchase a Cincinnati-area video store The Video Store, which could consist of 10 stores and owner Jack Messer would gave them another 14 during the July–October period.

That year, in August 1987, Vestron had promoted Michael Karaffa to sales vice president and Adam Platnick to business affairs vice president, while the company saw more layoffs that they wanted to go, including former executives, namely Raymond Bernstein and Gordon Bossin, which of them both had layoffs in May.

In 1987, Vestron Inc had formed a new single unit, the Vestron International Group, with Jon Peisinger as president of the new division, which encompass Interaccess Film Distribution, Vestron Video International, Vestron Pictures International and Locus Video Group, with the announcement coming after Gregory Cascante has resigned as president of Interaccess Film Distribution, and the operation would have more centralizing Vestron offices in those regions.

In late November 1987, Vestron Video is revamping their distribution network to get rid of 9 out of 23 distributors and enrolling the 14 in a new "Vestron Advantage" program designed to gave the distributors more incentives and a means to market to sell Vestron tapes more efficiently and the strategy is carefully watched by the industry and could set a pattern for things to come at some competing program suppliers.