Canadian Entrepreneurs Bet on St. Louis Region for Business Growth

Three Canadian business owners have relocated to the St. Louis area, citing more opportunities and a better environment for mid-sized companies.

Apr. 1, 2026 at 4:09pm

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Three Canadian entrepreneurs - Raj Tut, Satinder Atwal, and Mark Turnbull - have moved their businesses to the St. Louis region, citing more opportunities and a better environment for mid-sized companies compared to Canada. Tut founded a property management company, Atwal owns multiple storage facilities, and Turnbull is launching an off-site construction company. They are urging other Canadians to consider relocating to the area, though the immigration process remains challenging.

Why it matters

The relocation of these Canadian entrepreneurs to the St. Louis region highlights the area's potential as a business hub, especially for mid-sized companies looking to grow. It also underscores the challenges of the current immigration climate, as the entrepreneurs note the difficulty of navigating the process to legally establish themselves and their businesses in the U.S.

The details

Raj Tut left Ontario for St. Louis in 2013 and founded Storyboard Living, a property management company that now manages over 1,400 apartments worth more than $200 million. Tut's friend Satinder Atwal followed him from Toronto and now owns multiple storage facilities in the Metro East area. Meanwhile, Mark Turnbull is launching an off-site construction company in St. Louis after considering other cities like Bellingham, Washington, and Nashville. The entrepreneurs cite the supportive business community and opportunity to 'build a city along with a company' as reasons for choosing St. Louis.

  • Raj Tut left Ontario for St. Louis in 2013.
  • Tut bought the building for Storyboard Living's headquarters in 2021.
  • Tut has been going through the immigration process for 13 years and has a couple years left until he can apply for citizenship.

The players

Raj Tut

The founder of Storyboard Living, a property management company based in Fairview Heights, Illinois that manages over 1,400 apartments worth more than $200 million.

Satinder Atwal

A Canadian business owner who followed Raj Tut to St. Louis and now owns and operates multiple storage facilities in the Metro East area.

Mark Turnbull

A Canadian entrepreneur who is launching an off-site construction company in St. Louis, citing the supportive business community as a key reason for choosing the region.

Jaz Tut

Raj Tut's wife, who said the first two years after moving from Canada were difficult but that leaving Canada was 'one of the best decisions' she's ever made.

Maxine Clark

A prominent St. Louis business leader that Mark Turnbull cited as an example of the well-connected and supportive business community in the region.

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What they’re saying

“Yeah there is more opportunity here. A better business environment to help small to medium businesses thrive.”

— Raj Tut, Founder, Storyboard Living

“In Canada, you see the ceiling. Here you see the horizon.”

— Satinder Atwal, Canadian Business Owner

“If that immigration piece was easier, I would have many more people here in St. Louis.”

— Raj Tut, Founder, Storyboard Living

“I don't know why you wouldn't be here, to be honest. Why would you go into the cog of Silicon Valley or New York City or say out in LA or something like that, and you're just in this big system here, you have an opportunity to build something, to reset the community, reset the city and whatnot. And to me, that's exciting. And I think any founder, they're building something. So do you feel like you could build a city along with your company at the same time?”

— Mark Turnbull, Founder, Off-Site Construction Company

What’s next

Raj Tut is now working with the International Institute of St. Louis to help more Canadians relocate to the region.

The takeaway

The relocation of these Canadian entrepreneurs to the St. Louis region highlights the area's potential as a business hub, especially for mid-sized companies looking to grow. However, the challenging immigration process remains a significant obstacle for those seeking to establish themselves and their businesses in the U.S.