By Anthony Wyatt
NKyTribune correspondent
Tom Saelinger grew up on a family farm in Melbourne in Campbell County, the youngest of ten siblings, learning the value of hard work and cooperation at an early age.
It was just the right early training for his position today as market president for Republic Bank.
His job goal is clear — grow the bank through strong relationships. Everyone knows that banking is all about building quality relationships.
Tom Saelinger
Saelinger played sports — baseball and basketball — at Bishop Brossart High School in Alexandria. That experience simply reinforced his appreciation for teamwork.
Cooperation and giving others credit for their accomplishments are foundational for success in both farming and sports, and this team mentality drives Tom’s banking success.
Tom was also taught to value education. His parents, who grew up in the Great Depression, never had the opportunity to continue their education, yet they instilled in all of their children a passion for learning.
“My parents were really amazing people,” Tom said. “They worked on the farm, they taught us all the value of hard work and they taught us the importance of getting an education and serving others. Dad served his country in WWII and mom worked at St Luke’s Hospital in the cafeteria for many years in addition to working on the farm and raising ten children.”
His father, Bill Saelinger, passed away in 2011 while his mom, Marcella Saelinger, still lives at home in Cold Spring at the age of 94.
Tom has been married for 22 years. He and his wife Gina, a partner in the Cincinnati law firm Ulmer and Berne, have 18-year-old triplet daughters who are heading off to college this year, carrying on their grandparents wishes of higher education. The Saelingers live in Villa Hills.
Tom decided to study finance with an eye towards business at Xavier University where he received both his undergraduate degree and an MBA. Life eventually led him towards a career in banking.
Republic Bancorp Inc. is a financial holding company based in Louisville and is the parent company of Republic Bank & Trust. Founded in Louisville in 1982, the company has grown its footprint outside Louisville — including into Florida — and moved into Northern Kentucky in 2008. It is the largest community bank domiciled in the State of Kentucky.
Supporting community-good causes.
The timing was good. After woking for two decades at large regional banks, Tom Saelinger longed a smaller and more local working environment. The match with Republic was perfect.
What drew Tom to Republic and what makes the bank stand out, he says, is its commitment to its local communities as well as providing the opportunity to recruit a talented local team of bankers that live in the area.
The bank has 45 locations including three in Northern Kentucky — Covington, Florence and Independence — and a presence now in Cincinnati (4030 Smith Road).
According to Tom, the community-banking model means that Republic offers individualized service for its customers. Particularly for family-owned businesses, he says, this means that Republic bankers take the time to listen to their clients, meet their needs with creative solutions and make decisions quickly and locally.
“If you can help a company buy that next piece of equipment,” Tom said, “or expand a building so they can employ more people, you’re helping a small business grow, and that’s really impacting the local economy and the community.
“A lot of the bigger banks are only concerned with helping big businesses, and there is a large need in the area for a strong community bank, given the recent buyout of Bank of Kentucky.”
Bank at 535 Madison in Covington
In addition to its emphasis on small business lending, Republic also invests heavily in housing services. With growing real-estate markets throughout the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky area, this further allows the bank to help the growing local economy.
Furthermore, Republic has made significant investments in personal banking technologies, such as mobile apps and the ability to deposit checks from one’s phone. Saelinger hopes that these services, usually found only at larger banks, will continue to help Republic reach more customers and respond better to their needs while also setting itself apart from other banks in the region.
Republic has already seen great success in its partnerships with local businesses and individuals, and Tom believes the future will hold more success stories as Republic continues to cultivate its relationship with the community.
“Northern Kentucky is a small community, where people still talk to one another and value superior service,” Tom said. “Our model for Republic is to be a grassroots type of organization. We listen to clients and work with them, and then they tell people about us. Our growth in the region has all been organic. We’ve never bought a bank. It’s been built relationship by relationship, client by client.”
