VU Promo Group is a logistics-driven, fledgling operation with several verticals in the promotional products, marketing, and decorated apparel spaces. The company was formed by VU Promo/Artees co-founder Michael Jerome and strengthened through his partnership with Jean-Marc Piquion, Michael’s business partner, who plays a key role in strategic planning and operational growth.
The company currently offers a comprehensive range of products, including custom-branded promotional items, decorated apparel, outdoor display products, and tech accessories. With his entrepreneurial background, Michael decided to implement Printavo to streamline Artees, the company’s decorated apparel business, which was running on outdated systems. As a result, he has seen some impressive near-term results.
Starting Over: From Haiti to Miami
Michael’s business journey began in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. He and his brother ran a large-format printing company specializing in outdoor advertising, such as billboards. Escalating political instability in Haiti eventually made it unsustainable for Michael to continue working in the country, and he decided to move to the United States.
While the business continued running in Haiti under his brother, Michael’s departure from the company also meant he needed a new plan.
“I moved to Miami in 2004 with $1,500 and a laptop, so basically I started from scratch,” he explains.
Soon after, he found work as a graphic designer. While he worked that job, he began brainstorming ways to re-enter the entrepreneurial world and establish a new company. With his previous expertise in printing, logistics, and client nurturing, Michael decided to strike out on his own and start a new company based in Miami.
That initiative eventually led to the creation of VU Promo, Michael’s current promotional products company, which was built on creative problem-solving, shipping and logistics skills, and a razor focus on customer service.
The company currently employs 55 staff members and has developed multiple complementary verticals under the VU Promo Group umbrella.
VU Promo/Artees Co-Founder Michael Jerome
A Global Logistics Engine Powering Major Brands
Michael notes that VU Promo’s strength lies in its differentiation from traditional promotional products distributors in the U.S.
“We are very heavily involved in exports,” he points out.
The company does business with over 30 countries in the Caribbean, overseas, and as far-reaching as Iraq. Two major benchmarks have been overseeing all of Coca-Cola’s promotional items for the Caribbean during the most recent World Cup, and managing a direct-to-store fulfillment program for approximately 4,700 Walmart locations.
Acquiring a Screen Print Shop to Fill Gaps
As VU Promo continued to build a name for itself, Michael says he also wanted to fill a gap often neglected by promo companies: apparel. In many instances, promo products companies will outsource the decorated apparel arm of the business, which he saw as leaving money on the table.
“Apparel represents about 40% of the promotional products pie, and we were doing maybe 5%,” he adds.
Instead of starting from scratch, the company made a strategic acquisition, purchasing Artees, a screen printer with which they had partnered for nearly a decade. As it turns out, the timing was perfect.
“When I spoke to the owner on the phone, he said, ‘ I literally put the business on the market last week,'” Michael adds.
VU Promo acquired Artees, adding decorated apparel to its lineup. The original owner stayed on for three months to help onboard Michael and his team, who didn’t initially have a background in the technique.
Why Printavo Was the Turning Point
When VU Promo acquired Artees, the business was using Price It, and Michael says the interface alone was a non-starter for him.
“Whenever I would log in, I would just cringe,” he explains. “”was completely lost just looking at the screen. I wish I had implemented Printavo right after the acquisition.”
The time it took to create, process, and schedule orders was hampering efficiencies, and Michael says he wanted a better system to keep the business nimble.
Michael says he learned about Printavo from the Print Hustlers podcast and immediately saw the potential. Some staff initially resisted the change, and he held off, later regretting the decision.
“I wish I had implemented Printavo right after the acquisition.”
The company made the switch to Printavo in January of 2025, and Michael says the impact was immediate:
- Reduced Confusion and Simple Interface
“The simplicity of how it looks when you’re processing orders and production is perfect for our workflow,” he explains. “If I can’t understand what I’m looking at, it’s a huge turnoff, and Printavo solved that.”
- Automated Approvals and Streamlined Communication
Quote approvals now occur automatically, reducing back-and-forth and enabling jobs to start faster.
- Significant Scheduling Improvements
This was the biggest transformation, Michael says.”Our manager used to take a couple of hours to prepare production schedules,” he notes. “Now it takes about 15 minutes.”
- Visibility Without Extra Footsteps
Artees runs an extensive equipment lineup, including three M&R autos, heat press stations, and embroidery machines. Michael’s team set up tablets on each machine to reduce the need for employees to walk back and forth across the production floor, enabling them to pull up Printavo to check order and production statuses. Connecting the production floor to the same system as the front office has also made improvements.”Sales reps don’t have to go check on orders; it’s all streamlined,” he says.
Adding Printavo to the Artees workflow has effectively aligned it with VU Promo’s rapid-turnaround service model.
Building Customer Relationships on Transparency and Trust
“Our service philosophy is simple: communication, open communication, and transparency,” Michael says.
For enterprise events with tight deadlines, the company provides step-by-step communication:
- Pre-production sample photos
- In-production progress shots
- Quality checks
- Carton photos
- Final inspection images
“It makes clients feel comfortable and confident that we have everything under control,” Michael states, adding that the heightened transparency builds deep, lasting partnerships, especially in markets where the stakes are high.
Adopting Smart Systems
VU Promo’s journey, from its roots in Haiti to a startup in Miami and ultimately becoming a global promotional logistics leader, demonstrates how focusing on fine details and prioritizing the customer makes all the difference.
Printavo helped VU Promo transform an outdated shop into an efficient, scalable decorated apparel vertical. And across all their business lines, the company continues to push the industry forward through creativity, transparency, and operational excellence.
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