McIntosh High School graduate Dan Berschinski isn’t about to be slowing down, even if he has officially retired from the Army.
Berschinski is starting his own company with the hopes of producing plastic-molded products that can be used in the war in Afghanistan. He is seeking contracts to produce items for the Department of Defense and the company will also have retail sales as well, Berschinski said.
Berschinski was severely wounded in a 2009 explosion in Afghanistan, and he underwent numerous operations to be outfitted with artificial legs.
The great news is that Berschinski reports tremendous improvement in the past six months with his new legs.
“Walking has gone from being just in the rehab clinic to the real world,” Berschinski said. “I can do dinner and a movie downtown and leave the wheelchair at home. It takes a lot of effort, and I get kind of sweaty. But it’s nice to have that option.”
In Peachtree City last weekend for the annual All-American 5K race fundraiser that honors him and other soldiers, Berschinski hit the ground running in his new career as an entrepreneur. For now his company will borrow manufacturing capacity from a friend’s plant in Ohio. But he hopes to expand in the future and be able to hire veterans as well.
“I would love to contribute to the economy and be a manufacturer, made in America and hiring American veterans,” Berschinski said.
Living in downtown Washington D.C., Berschinski admits that he’s enjoying time with his girlfriend Jessica, who works for the governor of Delaware and also lives in downtown Washington. Berschinski said he is also getting a kick out of having some down time: “growing my hair out, relaxing and sleeping late.”
