That's what I saw as well Allen and not just UK companies.
I was just leaving the industry at around that time and we were selling hand tools, power tools and machinery as well as our Dexion racking, graphic and display products and semi finished plastics (strange mix of products but all separate departments of my branch).
Many of our suppliers have gone and even the company I worked for which had branches all over the UK went to the wall a few years after I left. (So wasn't my fault 
)
I fondly remember Kity machinery and Startrite when it was the original quality. Elu and DeWalt when even though owned by B&D was damn good stuff and likewise much of the tooling before it was swallowed up by the big boys and diluted by chiwanese imports.
