What brands of repair stands are sturdy?
I have a Velomann V2500.  They are made in Italy.  The stand is great overall.  Very stable.  

My only complaint is that the clamp is a little bit fussy.  Getting the bike into the stand is a bit of a pain.  (Once it is in no problems though).  If you where working on 20 bikes/day this would cost you endless annoyance however if it is just for your personal use I would defiantly say get it.  

I think that a Parks Tools Stand would definatly be better quality but I only paid $109 (Canadian) for this stand.  

In Canada you can buy it from MEC (they will ship internationally but it is probably cheaper to order it from somewhere else).