Yep. Even if it has never been easier for the maker/producer to setup their own Shopify store, it's still not enough.
Sure a decent website on shopify is better than nothing, but most likely only your current customers will go. You need extra skills to bring NEW customers: marketing, SEO, social media, etc.. and chances are that it's someone else that will have those skills.
the only people who hate middlemen are people who cannot into economics.
Reminds me that middlemen provide value in a lot of ways, even though they are hated and everyone thought the internet would disintermediate them all.