Buzz worthy

Beer distribution executive John Saputo has fought his share of real-life battles.

He was a U.S. Marine for three years and then rose up the ranks of the Reserves. He retired with the rank of colonel in the Reserves, after a 32-year career that took him everywhere from Panama to Iraq for Operation Desert Storm/Desert Shield.

But at work, Saputo fights his business battles from the Lakewood Ranch headquarters of Gold Coast Eagle Distributing — a fortress of beverages. The company sells Anheuser-Busch, Modelo/Corona and a host of import and craft beers to nearly 2,000 customers in Sarasota and Manatee counties, including supermarkets, bars and restaurants. The 170,000-square-foot facility that opened in 2008 on 23 acres is hurricane-fortified, with walls more than 20 inches thick. The company calls the facility a castle, and Saputo runs it from an expansive and highly decorated office on the second floor.