About Trueline – Maine Marketing Services

What Does Trueline Do?

Trueline is an independent, full-service marketing and consulting firm based in Portland, Maine. Founded by Haj Carr in 2007, Trueline provides strategy, content and design to clients around the world, including companies, nonprofit organizations and individuals.

The company is best known for Trueline Publishing, a collection of industry-specific trade journals covering professionals in law (Vanguard), technology (Toggle), construction (Blueprint) and executive leadership (Vision). Some of the companies profiled by Trueline Publishing include Dell, Ford, Microsoft, Comcast and Pfizer, among many others. To date, Trueline’s publications have generated more than 1 million pageviews.

Trueline’s full service marketing services are used by dozens of companies and organizations throughout the U.S. They include website optimization, SEO,  graphic design, content-creation, social-media strategy, media outreach, and speech writing. The company’s marketing business serves clients of all sizes and sectors: small Maine nonprofits; local restaurants; international membership organizations; entrepreneurs; and more. Trueline prides itself on a creative, collaborative approach, with most of its projects involving personnel from every department, specifically writing, design and business strategy.

A Brief History

When Haj Carr launched Trueline in 2007, the U.S. was in the throes of the Great Recession. Complicating things further, the company’s flagship publication—U.S. Builders Review—was focused on an industry especially hard hit by the downturn.

Carr’s strategy was to convince executives at these companies that, to survive the recession, they needed to stand out from the competition—including through creative content. (He was correct.) The publication was an instant success, and other trade journals soon followed. Thirteen years later, it has emerged as one of Portland’s most sought-after creative agencies. The company’s stories have been read and shared around the world and its dynamic marketing arm now serves dozens of clients, both in Maine and throughout the U.S.

In 2019, Trueline moved its headquarters to 561 Congress Street in Portland where the SALT Institute for Documentary Studies used to be. Since then, the company has hosted nearly a dozen First Friday art shows, displaying work from some of the region’s most prominent and prolific artists.

Each year, Trueline staff are invited on a weekend rafting trip along the Kennebec River in The Forks, Maine. The company also hosts an annual Holiday party, held at the Mariner’s Church in downtown Portland.

Trueline has been named one of the “Best Places to Work in Maine” for four straight years (2016-19). On-site amenities include office happy hours; a ping-pong room; subsidized parking; monthly “Town Hall” meetings and generous incentives for exceeding sales goals.