NEW YORK -- Alcan Aluminum Corp. has hired away Stephen J. Bettcher, a 21-year veteran of the hotly competitive, $4-billion-a-year-plus aluminum can stock business, from Kaiser Aluminum Corp. as vice president, global can stock sales and marketing.

Alcan Aluminum, Cleveland-based U.S. arm of Canada's Alcan Aluminium Ltd., did some serious tire kicking at Kaiser Aluminum's big Trentwood, Wash., aluminum rolling mill at one point in 1998, but did not pursue the matter. Both the U.S. unit and the Montreal-headquartered parent company have been building up substantial aluminum can stock capacity in the '90s in the United States, Europe and Brazil.

Trentwood, along with four other large Kaiser plants in the United States, has been run with non-union personnel since the United Steelworkers went on strike Sept. 30.

Prior to his long stint as Kaiser Aluminum's vice president, can stock sales and marketing, Bettcher, who will make his headquarters in Cleveland, held sales positions in Kaiser's ingot, forgings, extrusions and sheet and plate departments. He has been chairman of the Aluminum Association's Aluminum Can Committee since 1991.