Misterlift- I'm a bit comfused. In the UK- what is the difference between a dealer, independent & manufcturer?

Here in the US an independent is a service company with no affiliation with a manufacturer- therfore they can't sell/rent new equipment. That is what I am. Dealers can be-A) franchised privately owned entities or-B) factory owned entities that buy/sell/rent equipment to customers. Manufacturers strictly build the machines & sell those machines to dealers. Manufacturers don't deal directly with customers, they do so thru the dealer network.