Moon River Soap Co., a prominent business in downtown New Baltimore, is relocating to Rochester in upcoming months to gain more production space.

"It is with both happiness and sadness that we will be leaving our New Baltimore location," owner Liz Aprea wrote in a customer newsletter. "For the past six months we have been looking for more space to make and dry the soap. I have resisted making the retail space move because I absolutely love this old building and think it really lends to the natural soap we make.

"We have built a solid business here and I, of course, worry about relocating at this point of our growing business. But when it comes right down to it our new location will actually be closer to about half of you, so we decided to hold our breath and make the move."

The natural soap and product company plans to leave the New Baltimore store on Washington Street store in late March. It will move into a sage green building at 339 East Street in downtown Rochester, Aprea said.

"We will have a wall of glass doors so that you will be able to see the soap being made from the start of mixing our botanical oils to the final cutting stage," she said. "We will have a new wrapping soap counter in the front by the register so I can wrap soap and label balms at the front desk instead of going back and forth to my work all day."

Business owner expressed frustration with New Baltimore progress

The relocation comes on the heels of Aprea expressing frustrations with city leadership in regards to her business in the historic downtown. In early December, she sent an email to multiple city officials, asking whether the road in front of her store would be closed during the Jingle Bell Run. Citing various downtown events, she said she lost business because the blocked-off street inconvenienced customers.

"In 2011, I have endured approximately 18 days of road closures," she wrote in the Dec. 8 email to multiple community officials. "This occurs to my end of the block only. The area in the center of town where Huntington Bank is located is only closed for less than 10 days a year. This gives my end of Washington an unfair position."

In late October, she appeared before New Baltimore City Council to say her stint on the Downtown Development Authority left her emotionally shaken. She said her suggestions for improving the city's downtown, such as creating a website for businesses, were harshly rebuffed or completely ignored.

"This type of bullying was never allowed in high school and should not be allowed now," Aprea told the council.

The city officials she criticized for their treatment and lack of effective communication countered her statements were untrue or misleading.

However, Aprea is fond of the historic building her business is in.

"I am sure whoever gets our beautiful New Baltimore building will have as much success as we have. The building owner is the kindest and we will miss him," she said.

Soap collection soothes skin naturally

Moon River's natural soap collection features more than a dozen different soaps containing only pure, eco-friendly ingredients such as olive oil, Michigan honey, shea butter and essential oils. It uses rosemary extract as a natural preservative, but, unlike many mainstream brands, there are no artificial fragrances, synthetic ingredients or animal fat.

For more information on Moon River Soap Co., visit the company's Facebook page or website.