One of the best and sturdiest ladder stand we've ever made was one that was made from the pressed and heat molded lumber made from plastic scraps.They lasted the longest and wouldn't rot away like regular lumber...only bad thing was the squirrels still had a picnic chewing them,it took a lot longer but those darn Tree Rats will chew on anything to sharpen those buck-teeth.
If You check Sportsmans Guide You can find several different brands and styles of ladder stands on sale there.The best ladder stand I have had so far is the Rivers Edge 17 foot stand,its good a sturdy and it is a little bigger than most of the regular 1-man stands,the only feature I wasn't too thrilled about is the removable shooting rail that is made with a square,holed shaped tube that sits down on a round shaped peg...it doesn't want to stay down and can be difficult to pull out!Other than that its a very nice stand with plenty of room.Orschlens carry them along with the Rivers Edge "Yukon" ground blind that I bought from them also.