Some companies might want to do business with you until you are up and running. Once the doors are open you established yourself, you may get a different answer. Companie like B&K have to maintain a certain level of "snob appeal" with their products and don't want them is a half arse hole in the wall shop. Not that your will be this by any means, but they don't know that. They don't know you. They also might have competitive contracts with other delears for certain areas that included 150 miles out.
Anyway, seems like you have the right attitude and simply scratched them from the list and moved on to the next. Once you have been open for a while, write them back.
Shinerman