You may have heard about the "other" solid surface countertop - the one thats about half the price of other solid surface tops - but never bothered to find out more about it. Well, there are no more excuses because you need to konw about the 1/4-in. Visioneer solid surface countertop, and about the company that manufactures it.

Sta-Care, Inc., with manufacruing facilities in Portage and Pardeeville, Wis., and Pana, Ill., has been producing Visioneer solid surface countertops since 1999, and laminate countertops since 1978.

So, what's so unique about Visioneer? Unlike other solid surface countertops, Visioineer countertops are produced with 1/4-in. thick solid surface sheets laminated to 3/4-in. particleboard, which company founder and president Steven Aldridge says is the perfect product for those who don't want to pay the high price of treaditional 1/2-in. solid surface countertop.

"We've developed a midpriced product, about $50 to $60 per lineal ft., plus installation, which for solid surface is unheard of at that price," says Aldridge. "I always felt there was a big market for a product that was in a price range of about half the price of 1/2-in. solid surface. You have this big gap between the price of laminate tops and solid surface, and I was looking for something in the middle."

With its headquarters in Portage, Sta-Care began offering solid surface countertops in 1996 using Swanstone 1/4-in. sheets laminated to 3/4-in. particleboard. Also in 1996, the company built a 3,200-sq.ft. building in Pardeeville, which was used for storage until 1999, at which time 20,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing space was added, and the company started manufacturing Visioneer