SKYLINE’SART DECIO
Life Is Not Just Business

by Don Magary

Skyline Corporation and its chief executive officer Arthur Decio is an enigma to many in the RV industry. The company quietly goes about its business of manufacturing towable RVs and manufactured homes without a lot of fanfare. Yet, when the sales figures are reported, Skyline is always a significant factor both in recreation vehicles as well as manufactured housing. And since the company is such a familiar name in the RV business, we were surprised that RVs make up only about 16 percent of Skyline’s total business.

Skyline certainly marches to the beat of its own drummer. And if you live outside the Northern Indiana area, you may not read or hear much about the company’s dynamic CEO Art Decio. While other CEOs in the industry actively participate in the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) and other associations and events, you’ll seldom see Art Decio. He has chosen to take a low profile in the industry. But on the national and regional civic side, Art is as prominent as he is respected. He and his wife Patricia take an active role in many causes contributing time, influence and money. It’s not an understatement to say that Art Decio is an outstanding citizen of the world. His philanthropy and business endeavors have earned him many honors and national recognition. And when it comes to accomplishments few people in this industry can boast of a record that approaches Decio’s. He’s the only industry executive to have had his picture on the cover of TIME magazine, and he’s also the only one to have been appointed to three Presidential commissions and served on the board of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. He holds six honorary doctorate degrees from institutions such as the University of Notre Dame and Indiana State University. The highest award that can be bestowed on a private citizen byGovernor of the State of Indiana is “Sagamore of the Wabash” — Art received this award twice - in 1977 and again in 1985. And these are just for starters.

Needless to say when RV News had the chance to talk with Art Decio, we were excited about the opportunity to share Decio’s and Skyline’s stories with our readers. Art is a native of Elkhart, IN, and was educated at Marmion Military Academy, Aurora, IL, and DePaul University, Chicago. He and Patricia have five children and eleven grandchildren.

The day we arrived for the interview, Art, having also just arrived, met us in the parking lot and escorted us to his comfortable office on the third floor of Skyline’s corporate headquarters in Elkhart, IN. His office is filled with mementoes of an illustrious career and a fulfilling personal life. We found him to be warm, friendly and extremely energetic. He confided that he jogs several miles every morning prior to starting his business day which obviously helps keep him looking and feeling younger than his 66 years.

Despite his personal accomplishments, Art Decio is a humble man and was reluctant to talk about his accomplishments for the story, but after some gentle persuasion by his son Terry, who is senior executive vice president at Skyline, Art consented.

He recalled being surprised in 1965 when he learned he was on the cover of Time. As a matter of fact when a TIME correspondent called him for the interview, Art thought it was a friend playing a joke on him so he hung up the phone.