When I was a drilling contractor in South Georgia, most of my competitors were good friends as well. If we needed information or something the other had, we would assist each other. We still competed for contracts. If one contractor was more qualified than the other for a certain job, we would refer our customer to our friend and competitor. These competitors were valued friends and remain so to this day.
Recently while in New Mexico I had the opportunity to attend a New Mexico Water Well Association meeting. I met many drillers and was impressed with them and their association.