A primarily remote company based in California is looking to transition to an office model and is looking to Denver for its in-person presence.

The Colorado Economic Development Commission approved more than $2.1 million in job growth tax incentives to an unnamed company labeled as “Project Sweet Summit” on Thursday. The EDC often does not disclose company names to protect confidentiality throughout the competitive process of attracting businesses to the state.

The company that currently has more than 500 employees focuses on customer relationship management for several industries including advanced manufacturing and distribution. It already has 20 employees in Colorado.

The hopes to attract the company comes as Denver has struggled with a rise in empty office buildings as many companies have expanded remote and hybrid options following the COVID-19 pandemic. Downtown saw a rebound of the number of employees coming to the office over the last year, but it’s still far below prepandemic levels.

The move could create 173 new jobs for the state, according to the EDC.

The company is considering the entire metro Denver area for its office but is focused on Denver. Colorado is competing with Chicago, San Francisco and Raleigh, N.C.

The average wage of the jobs if the company came to Colorado is expected to be $140,295. It would include positions such as sales, marketing, software engineers and customer support.

The EDC said the company would support Colorado’s push to attract high-paying technology jobs and make the state a major tech hub.

“This would be a significant signal of support for companies choosing Colorado for workforce transitions and Headquarters,” the EDC said.

The EDC approved job growth tax incentives for two other companies seeking to expand or establish a presence in the state. In total, the commission approved nearly $3.25 million on Thursday, a majority for Project Sweet Summit.

“Project Coils,” an automotive manufacturer, was granted nearly $770,000 in tax incentives from the state to bring 50 new jobs for a new manufacturing line in Mesa County. The company is also looking at Missouri and Kentucky.

The EDC also granted a mining financing startup dubbed as “Project Neptune” nearly $375,000 in a bid to lure the company to open its headquarters in the state, which could bring 29 jobs. The company is considering opening its main office in the metro Denver area, but is also considering Nevada and Florida.

One company was approved for a Strategic Fund incentive totalled at $453,000 to match local tax rebates incentives. “Project Cobalt,” a mechanical contracting and systems engineering company, is considering opening a fabrication facility in Monument, El Paso County.

The expansion is expected to bring 135 jobs, according to the EDC.