US Silicones, a start-up supplier of compounded silicone rubber materials for the medical, industrial, automotive and home appliance markets, will locate its manufacturing operations in Fort Wayne, IN, creating more than 20 new jobs by 2011.

The company, formed by executive management firm Thistle Group, will invest more than $1.1 million to upgrade an existing 15,000-square-foot facility at 3103 Cannongate Drive in Centennial Industrial Park on the city’s northwest side.

US Silicones plans to begin hiring production associates and administrative staff immediately to coincide with the planned commencement of manufacturing operations later this year.

“We selected Indiana and particularly Fort Wayne as our site because of its centralized location to most of our industrial customers and technical partners,” said Tom Lapsley, US Silicones’ president and chief executive officer. “We can serve more than 50 percent of our market within a close proximity to Fort Wayne. In addition, this area provides a solid technical employment base to attract qualified staff and a solid overall business environment.”

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) offered US Silicones up to $100,000 in performance-based tax credits and up to $14,000 in training grants based on the company’s job creation plans. WorkOne Northeast will complement the IEDC training grant with additional worker identification, assessment and training assistance. The city of Fort Wayne will provide a performance-based grant of $20,000 to help offset a small portion of the start-up costs, and the Fort Wayne Common Council will consider phasing in taxes on qualifying real and personal property investments. The Fort Wayne-Allen County Economic Development Alliance is helping to coordinate local involvement with US Silicones.

For more information, visitwww.thistle-group.com.