PRESQUE ISLE – The local doctors who built Slopes Restaurant in 2004 and set up a water bottling company last year recently announced a few new enterprises that come just in time for the 2006 Biathlon Junior World Championships, which get under way in Presque Isle later this month.

Dr. Hank Ford, an oral surgeon, and Dr. Imbesat Daudi, a urologist, who own Slopes Northern Maine Restaurant and Brewing Co. LLC and Northern Maine Bottling Co. LLC, have a new product that was put on local store shelves just a few days ago – bottled water that features the 2006 Biathlon Junior World Championships custom label.

The water bottles with the event logo are among the offerings of the doctors’ water company, which is serving as official beverage sponsor for the biathlon, to be held at the Nordic Heritage Center from Jan. 27 to Feb. 5.

Charles Beck, sales and marketing manager for Northern Maine Bottling Co., said on Tuesday that with the event less than a month away, the custom-label bottled water is on shelves in seven local stores. He said the custom-label water also will be sold on site during the biathlon event.

Ford and Daudi also are getting their restaurant business involved in the event; Slopes is serving as the championship pub sponsor, which means the restaurant has exclusive rights to sell food and beverages at the venue. It also is serving as the exclusive souvenir provider. The owners soon will begin selling everything from cowbells and hats to mugs and sweat shirts, all of which will feature the locally designed 2006 BJWC logo.

Combined, the sponsorships total more than $10,000 in investments for the event, according to Brian Hamel, president of Hamel Enterprises LLC, who said Tuesday that he is serving as a business consultant to the doctors “in their multiple business ventures.”

Hamel said that as part of the doctors’ status as official beverage sponsor, the businessmen have donated 300 cases of their Achapani (Hindu for “good water”) brand bottled spring water for athletes, support staff and volunteers at the event. That equals about 7,200 bottles of water, he said.

The custom-labeled bottles of water will be sold at the venue to event spectators as part of the pub sponsorship. Hamel said Slopes will have a pub tent on site offering the water, as well as beer, soda and food. He said the restaurant also will have staff making rounds through the crowds and stands “just like at Fenway Park,” selling everything from coffee and hot cocoa to soups and chili.

As souvenir providers, they will open a kiosk soon at Slopes to sell the event merchandise. Hamel said the souvenirs also will be sold during the championships and that 10 percent of sales during that time will be contributed back to the 2006 BJWC organizing committee to help defray the cost of hosting the event.

Hamel said that Daudi and Ford made this investment for several reasons.

“They want to capture the excitement and activity that is going to happen from events like this,” he said. “They want to be good corporate citizens, and they want to introduce their businesses to both local people and those who will come back a second, third and fourth time after having a positive experience at the world championships.”