Commercial and Business Lending

What Commercial and Business Lending does

Commercial and Business Lending, doing business as CBL Lending and legally organized as Hawaii Lending Specialists, LLC, is a Honolulu-based loan packaging and consulting firm that specializes in government-backed commercial lending programs for Hawaii-based businesses. The firm assists small and medium-sized businesses, agricultural operators, and rural development borrowers in structuring and securing financing through the SBA 504 and SBA 7(a) programs, the USDA Farm Service Agency, and USDA Rural Development Business & Industry and Community Facilities guaranteed loan programs. Service offerings span SBA commercial real estate loans, agricultural lending, rural development loans, business purpose financing, and supporting loan packaging and consulting, with no proprietary software or technology platform disclosed.

The firm's revenue model is fee-based professional services tied to loan packaging, structuring, application preparation, credit underwriting support, and lender communications. CBL Lending does not fund loans directly; instead it operates as an intermediary that prepares and positions client applications for approval by SBA-approved lenders and USDA program lenders. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market is consultative, enterprise field sales delivered by Managing Partner Jason T. Okuhama and a small team, with both remote consultations and in-person visits across the Hawaiian islands. Customer segmentation is hybrid, combining size-tier (Hawaii SMBs as primary) with vertical segmentation (agricultural, rural development, commercial real estate).

The firm is founder/owner-operated with no disclosed institutional investors, no subsidiaries, no funding rounds, no patents, and no digital distribution infrastructure. Marketing is relationship-driven and referral-based rather than digital. Operational scope is single-country domestic, covering O'ahu, Maui, Big Island, Kaua'i, and Molokai.

Name

Commercial and Business Lending

Legal name

Hawaii Lending Specialists, LLC

Website

https://cbllending.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Commercial and Business Lending (CBL Lending) is a Honolulu-based loan packaging and consulting firm that helps Hawaii small and medium-sized businesses, agricultural operators, and rural borrowers access SBA and USDA government-backed loan programs across all major Hawaiian islands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Lending Services

NAICS

Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (52231)

SIC

Loan Brokers (6163)

akta.pro primary industry

SBA/USDA Government-Backed Loan Intermediation (FSAEAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

SBA/Government-Backed & Development Finance Loans (FSAKAGAI)

Keywords

• SBA loan packaging
• Commercial real estate financing
• Agricultural lending services
• Rural development loans
• Government-backed business loans

Headquarters

HQ city

Honolulu

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Loan Packaging and Consulting Fees: The company generates revenue through loan packaging and consulting services, helping clients prepare loan applications, structure documentation, and navigate government-backed loan programs. Revenue appears to be fee-based for professional services rendered in the loan application process.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Commercial and Business Lending is a Hawaii-based loan packaging and consulting firm that helps small and medium-sized businesses, agricultural operators, and rural enterprises access capital through government-backed loan programs including SBA 504, SBA 7(a), USDA Farm Service Agency, and USDA Rural Development Business & Industry and Community Facilities loans. The firm provides hands-on loan structuring, application preparation, credit underwriting support, and lender coordination, and also assists with commercial real estate financing and business purpose financing such as acquisitions, startups, equipment purchases, and working capital.

Product overview

Commercial and Business Lending (CBL Lending) operates as a unified lending services platform rather than a software product, offering a coordinated portfolio of government-backed loan programs. The core offerings include SBA 504 and SBA 7(a) commercial loans, Agricultural Lending, Rural Development Loans (Business & Industry and Community Facilities), and Business Purpose Financing. These products are supported by Loan Packaging & Consulting services that guide clients through the application and underwriting process. The company specializes in USDA Farm Service Agency, US Small Business Administration, and USDA Rural Development government loan programs, serving businesses across all major Hawaiian islands including O'ahu, Maui, Big Island, Kaua'i, and Molokai.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SBA 504 Commercial Real Estate Business Loans

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 90% financing available through SBA 504 loans
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• USDA Farm Service AgencycoreOthersGovernment agency administering agricultural loan programs. CBL Lending works with Farm Service Agency to secure financing for Hawaii farmers, ranchers, and agri-businesses for land acquisition, farm expansion, and equipment purchases.
• US Small Business Administration (SBA)coreOthersFederal agency providing SBA 504 and SBA 7(a) loan programs. CBL Lending specializes in packaging and underwriting SBA guaranty loans for business acquisition, startups, equipment, and commercial real estate.
• USDA Rural DevelopmentcoreOthersGovernment agency offering Business & Industry and Community Facilities guaranteed loan programs. CBL Lending assists Hawaii businesses in obtaining financing up to $25 million (B&I) and $100 million (Community Facilities) for rural development purposes.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• CDC Small Business Finance: One of the largest SBA 504 Certified Development Companies in the U.S., directly comparable to CBL as a specialized SBA 504 loan origination and packaging organization serving small businesses seeking commercial real estate financing.
• Pursuit Lending: An SBA-focused lending and consulting firm that packages SBA loans for small businesses, directly comparable to CBL's loan packaging and consulting model across SBA 7(a) and 504 programs.

Broad incumbents

• Stearns Bank: A Minnesota-based bank with a focused SBA lending division. Comparable to CBL in SBA product specialization but operates as a chartered bank funding loans on its own balance sheet rather than as a packaging intermediary.
• Celtic Bank: A Utah-based industrial bank with one of the largest SBA 7(a) portfolios in the country. Comparable to CBL in SBA loan origination but operates as a chartered bank with direct lending capability and national reach.
• Newtek Business Services: A diversified SMB financial services company with significant SBA lending activity. Comparable to CBL in SBA product focus but operates at much larger scale as a publicly traded, multi-product provider.
• Live Oak Bank: A publicly traded bank specializing in SBA and USDA lending to small businesses across multiple verticals. Comparable to CBL in SBA/USDA product focus but operates as a direct balance-sheet lender with national reach and significantly larger scale.
• CMG Financial: A large independent mortgage and SBA lender with a national network. Comparable to CBL in SBA origination activity but operates at much greater scale with diversified residential mortgage products.

Regional players

• Central Pacific Bank: A Hawaii-based community bank providing SBA and commercial lending to local businesses. Comparable geography and customer base as CBL but operates as a chartered bank with direct lending capability.
• First Hawaiian Bank: Hawaii's largest locally headquartered bank, serving the same Hawaiian SMB market as CBL with in-house SBA and commercial lending capabilities. Comparable geography and target customer base, though operates as a chartered depository institution rather than a loan packaging intermediary.
• Bank of Hawaii: A major Hawaii-headquartered commercial bank competing in the same local SMB and CRE lending market as CBL. Comparable geographic focus and target customers, though operates with substantially larger balance sheet and product breadth.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Commercial and Business Lending