.. and everyone knew Lynton were the best.
You've made me choke on my
infuso d'erbe! Lol!
Mann's, McAlpine's and Hanson were all fairly distinctive by the 80's but, as we know, Mann's failed to re-invest (in numerous areas) and began to lose their footing and, eventually, their distributorship too and which had been their commercial lifeblood.
McAlpine's were also driven (to a large extent) by their distributorship and somewhere along the line I think Hanson's picked-up the Bell distributorship for a season.
I agree with some of what you have said but .. I believe the solution is perhaps exemplified in the form of Starspeed. If I understand it correctly, Starspeed's shareholdings are offered to their employees and those whose who can afford to do so buy into the company and offer their shares up for sale again when they leave. As I say, I don't know if this is an accurate portrayal of what goes on but it's what I've been told.
In the case of Mann's, McAlpine's, Hanson, Ferranti and others .. there was one common denominator .. the parent company when facing fiscal challenge would simply severe its subsidiaries .. pretty unceremoniously in some cases.
In a company which is owned by those actively working in the industry (eg. Starspeed) this is (obviously) far less likely to happen as the shareholders have a vested interest in ensuring the company's survival - against all odds if necessary.
There is one British rotary-wing company (also a distributor) which harkens back to before the 80's. Its owner is a member of PPRuNe. He keeps a low profile. His business has trundled along year after year steadily growing, he offers excellent service. Because he is interested in the industry he has kept his hand steadily on the tiller and the results (as described) are plain to see.
So, sometimes, just sometimes .. it works out.