Hawaii Business Registry Falls 40,000 Filings Behind
A failed business registration system has left Hawaii's Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs four months behind on filings.
Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Openings & Closings
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Hawaii's Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs is four months and 40,000 filings behind after its business registration system failed through repeated tests and fixes. The backlog is affecting real estate deals, nonprofit grants and business startups.
Why it matters
Delayed registrations can stall transactions that depend on up-to-date business records, leaving businesses and nonprofits waiting on approvals. The episode highlights the risks of state technology upgrades that proceed despite earlier warnings.
The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs reports 40,000 filings in backlog after four months of disruption, with the state having paid $2 million to Pacxa in 2021 for the upgrade. The department has received about 7,000 calls a month since July, and it is unclear how quickly the backlog will shrink once Salesforce experts complete repairs.
The players
Salesforce
Salesforce is a major cloud software company whose Customer Relationship Management platform underpins many enterprise and government systems.
Pacxa
Pacxa is a local Hawaii computer company that was contracted by the state in 2021 to upgrade its business registration system.
Tradewind Group
Tradewind Group is the parent business group of Pacxa, the Hawaii computer company contracted to upgrade the state's registration system.
Colbert Matsumoto
Colbert Matsumoto is the chair of the Tradewind Group, which includes Pacxa.
The details
The state contracted Pacxa, a local computer company, in 2021 to upgrade the business registration system, though Pacxa was not experienced with the Salesforce platform the state wanted. Pacxa hired subcontractors, two of whom left the project, and the state was notified of multiple issues in a 2023 oversight report but continued working with the company.
Timeline
2021: State hires Pacxa on a $2 million contract.
2023: State is notified of multiple issues in an oversight report.
July: Department begins receiving about 7,000 calls a month.
Tuesday (November 10, 2026): A House committee demands answers on the system collapse.
Projected: Salesforce says it will take 11 weeks to restore the system.
Roadmap
The Hawaii case follows a recurring pattern in which state IT modernization projects proceed with contractors despite earlier oversight warnings about readiness. It shows how such upgrades can stall core business services for months when vendor experience does not match the platform chosen.
Businesses and nonprofits waiting on registrations may face delays in real estate closings, grant approvals and startup launches until the backlog clears. Anyone needing a filing processed should expect slower turnaround than usual while the department works through the 40,000 pending items.
The takeaway
State technology upgrades benefit from verifying that a vendor has direct experience with the chosen platform before work begins. Oversight warnings deserve prompt action rather than continued contracting.
What happens next
Salesforce experts have projected that the business registration system will take 11 weeks to restore.
Further reading
For related business registration developments, see Openings & Closings coverage across the state.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Hawaiinewsnow.
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