The problem seems to be that the market has become very competitive , with the emerging Chinese manufactures now have got they hands on some quite good designed equipment and are using western suppliers ,the established companies are now looking at way's to move there equipment. One way is to have two or more dealers in one area another is to squeeze there suppliers. They can't be seen to just drop there prices so they use dealers to do it for them. The problem will occur when good dealers decide to look at other equipment from what i have noticed like in the auto market dealers will start to supply a number of manufactures and then pitch the manufactures against each other. In the UK Linde own all there dealers so they can be quite competitive if they need be also in other areas of Europe this happens with manufactures
owning there sales and service network This allows for them to squeeze interdependent dealers.