PEMBINA, N.D. (AP) — One of the largest employers in northeastern North Dakota is closing later this year.  Winnipeg, Manitoba-based New Flyer Industries is shutting down its Motor Coach Industries charter and transit bus manufacturing plant  in Pembina, located close to the Canadian border.

Pembina Mayor Mike Fitzgerald says company was notified of the decision in a letter. The company told Fitzgerald that it was having difficulty finding qualified employees, which is a factor in its conversion to electric vehicles. KFGO radio reports that the plant’s location also has become an issue, New Flyer also has a plant in Crookston, Minnesota, which is about 100 miles from Pembina. The Pembina plant opened in 1963. Fitzgerald calls the move “devastating” and says it will put more than 200 employees out of work