The Orlando Sentinel from Orlando, Florida • C1

Orlando Sentinel: PRODUCT: OS DESK: BIZ DATE: 09-12-2007 EDITION: FLA ZONE: FLA PAGE: C1.0 DEADLINE: 21.12 OP: kchan COMPOSETIME: 22.31 CMYK Markets: A Dow 180.54 13,308.39 19.79 NYSE 139.97 9,597.61 Nasdaq 38.36 2,597.47 C4 C6 1,471.49 BUSINESS CENTRAL FLORIDA SECTION WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 12, 2007 Orlando Sentinel Online How 2 Extra Checkout Etan Horowitz's collection of technology tips, atOrlandoSentinel.comtechnology Health insurance premiums rise 6.1 This year's increase which leaves inflation in the dust is still the slowest growth since 1999. "Bjj BMJIMfc5SIBBBfail bbbbbbVbIbibm BsBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBHHHBBBBBBMifiBBBBBlBfeBBlBHBK-' j' BBBBBBBBBV BBBBlMHBBBgBffMBJBfeBBp ajajajajajajaV BB BBBBBBBBBjjl BBBBiBBBiRRVtBBBBBB rfl'' BH Ybbi PHOTOS BY TOM BENITEZORLANDO SENTINEL Jim Urmson works the robotic truss-assembly system he has devised. Another of his inventions has changed the way some home building is done. HE SAW A BETTER WAY By SARA K. CLARKE SENTINEL STAFF WRITER Julie Swatek surveyed her 16 employees Monday to see whether they were interested in a group health-insurance plan.

Every single one was. Swatek, president of an Orlando scrapbook company called Scrap YourTrip.com, would like to provide coverage. But her company would have to pay half the costs. Swatek is unsure whether she and her employees can afford their respective share of the bill. "It keeps me up at night, knowing that people are consciously making a decision to go without health care because they want to work here," Swatek said.

The latest insurance news is not good for employers such as Swatek. A survey released Tuesday found that premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance rose an average of 6.1 percent in 2007 to $12,106 for a family plan, with workers paying an average of $3,281. The increase outpaced the 2.6 percent inflation rate, as well as the growth in workers' wages, which was 3.7 percent. The survey was released by two health-care organizations, the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research and Educational Trust. About 2,000 public and private employers responded to the full survey.

"Every year health insurance becomes less affordable for families and businesses," said Drew Airman, president and chief executive officer of Kaiser. "Over the past six years, the amount families pay out of pocket for their share of premiums has increased by about $1,500." The survey does offer a silver lining: This year's increase was the slowest growth since 1999, when premiums rose 5.3 percent. And although premiums are rising 2.4 per- pleasesee HEALTH, C5 Inventor from Lake County hits upon an idea that may cut some costs associated with home building. jjgg'" rrtiiirftrTiinHnrrjjP 9gVgVgVgVJ linear-feed saw Ljtr-r TC En BBaBj wood and craft the intricate forms. Instead of a diploma hanging on the wall of his cramped office at TCT Manufacturing Inc.

in Mount Dora, Urmson has patent No. 6615100, issued Sept. 2, 2003, for what is known as a linear-feed saw. The computerized saw is fast changing the way the labor-intensive truss business works and saving money as well, said Rick Grubbs, plant manager of Duley Truss Inc. in Dunnellon.

"It's one of the biggest advances, ever, in this business," said Grubbs, who has done truss work for 30 years. Duley Truss bought one of the smart saws please see INVENTION, C5 By JERRY W.JACKSON SENTINEL STAFF WRITER Engineers and machinists from as far away as Europe and Japan travel to a secluded, warehouse-like building in Lake County to visit Jim Urmson. He's an obscure inventor who has created an automated system that just might save the U.S. home-building industry millions of dollars in labor costs. Urmson spent decades working with his hands in hot truss plants, building the wooden frames that hold up the roof of a house.

The truss is a key part of a home, and Urmson has already played a big role in reducing the number of workers required to cut the The computerized saw patented by Urmson has cut the manpower needed when building the wooden frames that holdup the roof of a house. Moving away can make TV news China bans lead paint for U.S.-bound toys WFTV'S RECENT DEPARTURES Longwood company claims Perdue stole recipes for chicken ByRENESTUTZMAN SENTINEL STAFF WRITER SANFORD A Longwood company with dozens of Chinese-food outlets in shopping malls is suing Perdue Farms alleging the chicken giant cheated it out of more than $100 million by stealing trade secrets about its bourbon chicken and other dishes. The suit, filed by Food Systems Unlimited also accuses Perdue of fraud and violating a confidentiality agreement. According to the suit, Perdue strung along the little company for months, then cast it aside after learning what it needed to know to make bourbon chicken and other products. Perdue is now selling two of those dishes bourbon chicken and General Tso's chicken in supermarket freezers across the country, said Hans Ken-non, Food Systems' attorney.

A Perdue spokeswoman said Tuesday that the company had done nothing wrong. According to its Web site, the privately held company, based in PLEASE SEE LAWSUIT, C2 Viewers wonder what happened to their favorite reporters, who seek greener pastures. By HAL B0EDEKER SENTINEL TELEVISION CRITIC "Where did that TV reporter go?" It's a constant question from viewers and one frequently asked about top-rated WFTV-Channel 9. Cynthia Demos was the latest departure last week. Demos left Orlando, the nation's No.

19 market, to take a morning anchor job at the CBS-owned station in Miami (No. 1 6) Her co-anchor will be Jorge Estevez, another WFTV alum. "When you work at Channel 9, other stations recruit you," Demos said. "They know if you can work for Bob Jordan and succeed, you must be good at your job." News director Jordan describes the turnover as inevitable and the station as an incubator. "They grow their talent and move on," Jordan said.

"It's a complicated issue. The Bob Opsahls and Barbara Wests choose to put down roots. Bob or Barbara could have gone to any market. Thankfully for us, they have stayed." Because WFTV has popular anchors at morning and night, young hopefuls look elsewhere. "There are only so many top jobs at a station," said Demos, who also anchored the 10 p.m.

news on sister station WRDQ-Channel 27. "It's the nature of our business. To move up, you have to move on." Financial compensation also drives TV journalists to bigger markets. "It's no secret that you can make more money working in New York City than you can in Orlando," Jordan said. Josh Einiger was able to jump to New York (the No.

1 market) after WFTV. PLEASE SEE NEWS, C2 THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON China signed an agreement Tuesday to prohibit the use of lead paint on toys exported to the United States. Unveiled at the second joint U.S.China summit on consumer-product safety, the pact was negotiated in the aftermath of recalls involving millions of playthings decorated with paint containing the toxic metal. China has faced stiff pressure this year after an array of its exports, including toys, pet-food ingredients, fish and jewelry, have been recalled over health and safety concerns. In the pact, Beijing also pledged to step up inspections of its exports and take other steps to ensure that those products meet U.S.

standards, said Nancy Nord, acting head of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. That will include joint efforts by the two countries to increase understanding of those standards among manufacturers and exporters. The absence of such an understanding allowed paint suppliers to provide lead paint to companies mak- PLEASESEE CHINA, C4 Cynthia Demos (above) took a morning anchor job at the CBS-owned station in Miami (the No. 16 market).

Josh Einiger moved on to New York (the No. 1 market). Jamison Uhler went to Philadelphia (No. 4). Jodie Fleischer transferred to Atlanta (No.

8). Dan Hellie and Scott Thuman headed to Washington (No. 9). Carl Willis stepped up to Houston (No. 10).

Chris Egert took an anchoring job in Seattle (No. 14). Leland Vittert won a promotion to anchor in Denver (No. 18). Christina Arangio became the main anchor in Albany, N.Y.

(No. 56). NO KASSAB 1 Beth Kassab is taking a break. Her column will return soon. COLORSTRIP: I.