The passing of a legend: James Biggar changed the course of Richfield

by Sue Serdinak

James Biggar, the man who is credited with changing the face of Richfield, passed away at the age of 93 on Oct. 28.

Biggar was a huge player in the Greater Cleveland area as a member of the new Cleveland Campaign, the Gateway Economic Development Corporation and the Greater Cleveland Development Partnership. He also served on the boards of many corporations and civic organizations.

Out of college, he worked for Reliance Electric but became the director of marketing for the Stouffer Corporation at the age of 32 under his father-in-law, Vernon Stouffer.

Stouffer and his wife Mahalia owned property in Richfield and, using apples grown on the property, made pies and sold them in the downtown Cleveland Arcade building. From this humble beginning, Stouffer frozen food evolved.

After Biggar joined the Stouffer Corporation as marketing director, the company changed the image of frozen foods around the world.

Biggar eventually became president and CEO of the Stouffer Corporation, which was later purchased by Nestle Enterprises. In 1982, he was named CEO and Chairman of Nestle Enterprises.

Following his retirement from Nestle in 1991, Biggar and his wife, Margery, turned their attention to the 490-acre Stouffer property in Richfield. The property straddled I-77 with part in Richfield Township and part in Richfield Village.

Biggar proposed building a business complex on the land that was in the village and a residential development in the township portion. Going through many hoops and challenges, he succeeded in creating Kinross Lakes business park on Brecksville Road and Glencairn Forest residential community off of Wheatley Road.

Kinross Lakes helped the Village of Richfield become a desired location for larger corporations and gave the village tax revenue it needed to provide services to the residents. Prior to Jim Biggar, Richfield’s main industry was trucking.

Both developments were applauded for their creative design and emphasis on nature with natural and manmade waterfalls.

The names Kinross and Glencairn came from Biggar’s Scottish heritage, which he frequently talked about.

BFGoodrich built their corporate headquarters in Kinross Lakes, and as the first landowner set the tone for the kind of high-end development Kinross Lakes would become.

Biggar frequently touted how Richfield, with its three interstate highways, was central to more markets than any other location east of the Mississippi River.

With all of his accomplishments and successes in his life, Biggar remained a very humble man, and frequently reminisced about the Stouffer legacy that began in Richfield.

At a recent Richfield Village Council meeting, Ralph Waszak, who was mayor when Biggar worked to make his developments a reality, commented on Biggar’s impact on Richfield.

“He put Richfield on the map. He showed confidence for businesses to invest in Richfield.”

He added that Biggar told him that he and Margery did not look at this project as moving dirt around and they had a real love of the property. ∞

Featured Photo: Circa 1991 Jim Biggar (center) showed development plans to then Mayor Ralph Waszak (l) and then CEO of BF Goodrich, John Ong. Photo from ScripType archives.