Let me add a little confusion & clarification to this thread. Most manufacturers in the US will sell direct to the end user - this has been done since since the late 60's/earlier 70's with Clark & Hyster leading the way (they were both "Kings of The Lift Truck Mountain" during that time period). Of course, they rely on their respective authorized dealers for after sell support, service, parts, warranty, etc. and typically the receiving dealer gets a bit of commission to do pre-delivery inspection & final deliver to the using location.
And even today with "demanding" large users (National Accounts) the manufacturers does provide central service billings, rental equipment, etc.