Newton-based BigBelly Solar names new chief executive

By Callum Borchers, Globe Staff

Compacting trash and recycling can maker BigBelly Solar Inc. said Wednesday it has hired Jim Norrod to be its new chief executive.

The Newton-based company said it picked Norrod because the veteran chief executive has a record of growing companies, resulting in several profitable mergers and acquisitions. Norrod is the former CEO of nfinite Power Solutions.

“Bringing Jim Norrod onto the team will help our company turn its second decade into one that is exponentially more successful and impactful in creating positive changes for our growing customer base,” said BigBelly Solar founder and president Jim Poss.

Norrod has also been chief executive of Segway Inc., Xanoptix Inc., Cignal Global, Octocom-Telebit-ITK, Adage Inc. and CGX Corp.

“Growing promising businesses based on game-changing technology has been the most exciting and rewarding aspect of my career,” said Norrod. “While BigBelly Solar has been remarkably impressive so far, they have only begun to scratch the surface of the total opportunity and I am honored to have the opportunity to guide them to even greater achievements.”

BigBelly Solar also said former Babson College president Brian M. Barefoot has joined the company’s board of directors. Barefoot is a senior advisor at New York-based banking and financial services firm Carl Marks & Co.

Founded in 2003, BigBelly Solar makes solar-powered trash and recycling receptacles that crush their contents. Compacting increases the capacity of containers and reduces the need to empty them.

The city of Boston said last summer that it would add 400 BigBelly containers to its streets over the next year, bringing the citywide total to 576. Each container costs $6,000 but holds 150 gallons of trash or recyclables -- five times a typical can. BigBelly Solar reports that its containers are used by more than 1,000 cities, companies and universities worldwide.