UBS Wealth Management Americas has recruited eight groups, as well as a string of individual financial advisors, bolstering nine of its offices nationwide and marking its second hiring spree of the month.

UBS Wealth Management Americas has recruited eight groups, as well as a string of individual financial advisors, bolstering nine of its offices nationwide and marking its second hiring spree of the month.

The Baldwin, Naples and Associates group – formerly of Bank of America Merrill Lynch - is led by Margaret Baldwin in the Newport, CA office and Michael Naples in the Pasadena, CA office. The team brings to UBS a production of approximately $2.4 million and assets under management of over $470 million.

Baldwin joins as senior vice president and will report to Ron Meraz, while Naples, who also joins as senior vice president, reports to Donald Gorsch.

Also joining the Newport Beach office is the Reckinger Loynes Group, also from Merrill Lynch. The group is led by Robert Reckinger, senior vice president, and James Loynes, and has a production of approximately $1.3 million and AuM of $387 million. Reckinger and Loynes will report to Meraz.

Meanwhile, the Sage Group has joined the firm’s Salt Lake City, UT office. The team, which will report to branch manager Wendi Eckardt, joins from Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. The group consists of Terri Yeckley and Allison Smooth as senior vice presidents of investments, as well as Elizabeth Nielson as a financial advisor.

The Swiss firm has also added the Kuchta Curole Group to its New Orleans, LA branch, with a production of approximately $2.4 million and AuM of $650 million.

The four-person team consists of Jacque Kuchta, senior vice president of investments, Scott Curole as a financial advisor, and Belinda Laws and Libby Buckland as senior registered client service associates. They join from Merrill Lynch and will report to branch manager Mark Poole.

Two groups have joined the Beaumont, TX office. The PKC Financial Group is led by senior vice presidents of investments Mike Persia and Bradford Klein, while the Ohmstede-Sheridan Financial Group is led by Christopher Ohmstede and Jean Sheridan.

Combined, the groups bring an aggregate production of $3.8 million and AuM of more than $600 million. The teams, which join from Merrill Lynch, will report to branch manager Craig Young.

Additionally, the firm has hired Marc Hagger and Ricardo Lima for its Dallas, TX office. Both Hagger and Lima latterly worked at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney and have been appointed vice president at UBS. Together, they bring a total production value of $1.1 million, with nearly $230 million in AuM.

In other moves, Bruce Smith joins the firm’s Atlanta, GA office as senior vice president of investments. Smith brings to the firm a production of approximately $1.95 million and AuM of over $100 million. He joins from Merrill Lynch and will report to director Jerry Johnson.

Meanwhile, UBS has ramped up its Troy, MI base, adding John Meldrum as senior vice president of investments. Meldrum, who joins from Merrill Lynch, brings with him a production of nearly $1.6 million and AuM of more than $119 million. He will report to director Michael Gatewood.

Further individual appointments are that of Maria Tanzola and Carolyn Finer, who, as a team, join the firm’s Manasquan private wealth division in New Jersey as senior vice presidents of investments. Tanzola and Finer bring an aggregate production of approximately $1.2 million and AuM of $180 million. The pair join from Merrill Lynch’s private bank and will report to area manager Chris Amo.

At the same time, Jamie Rosica and Alex DiMartini have joined the Melville, NY office from Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, bringing with them a combined production of approximately $1.2 million and AuM of over $119 million. Rosica and DiMartini - who both join as a senior vice president of investments - will report to branch manager Robert Limmer.

The remaining appointment is that of Lucie Sabella, who joins UBS’ Fort Lauderdale, FL office. Sabella, who is senior vice president of investments, brings a production of more than $1 million and AuM of more than $117 million. She joins with junior partner Megan MacGowan from Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, and will report to branch manager Lane Strumlauf.

In related news, the firm also added two Morgan Stanley Smith Barney advisory teams to its New Jersey and California offices earlier this month. Mario Afram, Carl Ekroth and Harish Jashanani joined the firm’s Paramus, NJ office, bringing a production of around $1.4 million and AuM of around $200 million.