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                                                               EXHIBIT (a)(10)


                                                             FEBRUARY 12, 2001

                                                          CONTACT: KEVIN SIPES
                                                       CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER


REPUBLIC BANCORP, INC. ANNOUNCES OFFER TO PURCHASE UP TO 1,000,000 SHARES OF ITS
CLASS A COMMON STOCK AT $8 TO $10 PER SHARE

Louisville,  KY - REPUBLIC BANCORP,  INC.,  (NASDAQ NMS: RBCAA) (the "Company"),
the holding  company for Republic Bank & Trust  Company,  is pleased to announce
that it will offer to purchase up to 1,000,000  shares of the Company's  Class A
Common Stock, approximately 7% of those outstanding. The offer will be made at a
purchase  price  between $8 and $10 per share  through a modified  Dutch auction
tender offer,  which  commences  today.  The Company's  management  and Board of
Directors  believe that the Company's  business,  assets and prospects,  coupled
with the current  market price of its shares of Class A Common  Stock,  make the
purchase  of the shares  pursuant  to the terms and  conditions  of the offer an
attractive investment opportunity.

Under the modified Dutch auction procedures,  shareholders who are considering a
sale of all or a portion of their shares will have the  opportunity to determine
the price or prices,  between $8 and $10 per share, at which they are willing to
sell their  shares  and,  if any of such  shares are  purchased  pursuant to the
offer, to sell those shares without the usual  transaction costs associated with
market sales.  The Company will select the lowest price,  which will allow it to
purchase  1,000,000  shares,  or if a  lesser  number  of  shares  are  properly
tendered,  all shares that are properly  tendered and not withdrawn.  All shares
acquired in the offer will be acquired at the same purchase price.

The offer will be made  pursuant to the Offer to  Purchase  dated  February  12,
2001, and related materials,  and will expire on March 13, 2001 unless otherwise
extended.  The  Information  Agent for Republic's  Dutch auction tender offer is
MacKenzie  Partners,  Inc., and any questions or requests for documents or forms
related  to the  offer  should  be  directed  to  MacKenzie  Partners,  Inc.  at
1-800-322-2885.  Republic's  Board of Directors  has approved this tender offer.
However,  neither  Republic,  its Board of Directors nor the  Information  Agent
makes any  recommendation  to  shareholders  whether to tender or  refrain  from
tendering their shares, or as to the price or prices at which they may choose to
tender their shares.  Directors,  executive  officers and affiliates of Republic
are not intending to tender shares in this offer.

THIS PRESS RELEASE IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT AN OFFER TO BUY
OR A  SOLICITATION  OF AN OFFER TO SELL ANY SHARES OF REPUBLIC'S  CLASS A COMMON
STOCK.  THE OFFER IS BEING MADE SOLELY BY THE OFFER OF PURCHASE,  WHICH IS BEING
MAILED TO  SHAREHOLDERS  TODAY.  Shareholders  and  investors  are urged to read
Republic's  Schedule TO being filed today with the SEC in  connection  with this
tender  offer,  which  includes  the Offer to Purchase  and  related  materials.
Materials  contain  important   information


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including  the various terms and  conditions to the offer.  Investors may obtain
copies of  Republic's  Schedule  TO for free  from the SEC at the SEC's  website
(www.sec.gov)  or  from  Republic's  Information  Agent  for  purposes  of  this
transaction, MacKenzie Partners, Inc.

NEIGHBORHOOD BANKING.  REPUBLIC BANK & TRUST COMPANY HAS 21 BANKING CENTERS IN 7
KENTUCKY  COMMUNITIES:  BOWLING  GREEN,  ELIZABETHTOWN,   FRANKFORT,  LEXINGTON,
LOUISVILLE, OWENSBORO, AND SHELBYVILLE; A LOAN PRODUCTION OFFICE IN CLARKSVILLE,
INDIANA;  REFUNDS  NOW, A  NATIONWIDE  TAX REFUND LOAN AND CHECK  PROVIDER;  AND
INTERNET  BANKING AT  WWW.REPUBLICBANK.COM.  REPUBLIC BANK IS  HEADQUARTERED  IN
LOUISVILLE,  KENTUCKY,  AND HAS OVER $1.5 BILLION IN ASSETS.  REPUBLIC  BANCORP,
INC., REPUBLIC BANK'S PARENT COMPANY, IS TRADED ON THE NASDAQ (RBCAA).

STATEMENTS IN THIS PRESS RELEASE RELATING TO REPUBLIC'S  PLANS,  OBJECTIVES,  OR
FUTURE  PERFORMANCE  ARE  FORWARD-LOOKING  STATEMENTS  WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE
PRIVATE  SECURITIES  LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995. SUCH STATEMENTS ARE BASED ON
MANAGEMENT'S CURRENT  EXPECTATIONS.  REPUBLIC'S ACTUAL STRATEGIES AND RESULTS IN
FUTURE  PERIODS  MAY DIFFER  MATERIALLY  FROM THOSE  CURRENTLY  EXPECTED  DUE TO
VARIOUS RISKS AND  UNCERTAINTIES,  INCLUDING  THOSE DISCUSSED IN REPUBLIC'S 1999
FORM 10-K AND  SUBSEQUENT  10Q REPORTS  FILED WITH THE  SECURITIES  AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION.




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