From the mountains of León to the UK and back to Galicia — how José Jiménez-García's career in forestry, arboriculture and environmental management led to founding Atlantic Land Management.
Atlantic Land Management wasn't created in a boardroom. It started in the mountains of León.
Growing up in Páramo del Sil, José spent much of his childhood outdoors, exploring forests, rivers and mountain landscapes. It was there that his love for nature began and where he first discovered a fascination with trees, forestry and the environment.
That passion led him to study Forestry and Land Management in León before beginning his career working in forestry, tree felling and woodland management. Looking for new opportunities, José later moved to the UK where he worked as a tree inspector and tree surgeon, gaining extensive practical experience and qualifications in arboriculture and land management.
After settling in Birmingham and welcoming his first daughter, José decided to take the leap into business ownership and founded Sil Landscapes, named after his hometown in the Sil Valley. For six years he designed, built and maintained gardens and landscapes for clients across the Midlands, developing a reputation for quality workmanship and earning much of his work through word-of-mouth recommendations.
As his career developed, José moved into larger infrastructure and environmental projects, managing vegetation and environmental works across highways and rail networks. He went on to work with some of the UK's largest construction and engineering companies, leading teams and delivering complex environmental projects.
Determined to deepen his knowledge, he completed a Master's degree in Renewable Energy and Sustainability while working full-time. This opened the door to senior environmental management roles with organisations including Kier, BAM Nuttall, Balfour Beatty, National Grid and HS2, ultimately becoming a Chartered Environmentalist.
But throughout those years, Galicia was never far from his thoughts.
In 2019 José met Penny, now his wife, and together they began talking seriously about building a different future. Between them they have five children, successful careers and plenty of responsibilities, so moving to Spain wasn't something that could happen overnight. Yet the dream never disappeared.
Over countless conversations, walks and glasses of wine, a simple idea kept coming back: combine José's practical land management experience and environmental expertise with Penny's business, client and commercial experience to create something of their own. That idea became Atlantic Land Management.
Today, we're building a business dedicated to helping property owners, estates, hospitality businesses and landowners care for and improve their land across Galicia. We believe land should be managed professionally, responsibly and with respect for the environment that makes this region so special.
We're excited to be starting this new chapter and look forward to meeting local businesses, property owners and communities as we put down roots in Green Galicia.