In 1936, Adam Poncelet purchased a hardware store in Bellechester. In 1995, his grandson, Charlie Poncelet and his wife, Grace purchased the hardware store in Goodhue. On March 2, 2026, Charlie and Grace’s son, Kyle reopened the store as Vine Haven Hardware. “The stars lined up,” is how Kyle describes the series of events that led to the business venture.
Kyle said the idea of owning the store had always been in the back of his mind, picturing a second career 20 years down the road. Fate had other ideas. After high school, Kyle went to work for O’Reilly Fabricating and then the Ironworkers Union. “I loved it,” he said of iron work he did at jobsites including the Eisenhower Bridge of Valor in Red Wing and Lake Byllesby Dam near Cannon Falls. The union job literally came crashing down in 2020 when he suffered a life-threatening injury. Kyle eventually went back to work but suffered another serious on-the-job injury in 2023. Now metal work holds a triple compound fracture in his leg together. Losing some natural function in his leg, ankle and foot, he realized balancing, walking, and climbing on narrow metal bars would no longer be safe and left his Ironworkers Union job in December 2025.
Charlie and Grace closed C&G Hardware around the time of Kyle’s second injury. It had been closed for about two years when Kyle started cleaning shelves and moving displays in February 2025. He describes the process as being “A jigsaw puzzle to piece it all together again”. He cleaned, rearranged the shelving, and updated displays in sections. Many of the visitors to the store have commented on the old wood floor. Loving the floor and all of its imperfections, Kyle wanted to preserve it “as is”. Rather than sanding and refinishing, he poly-coated right over hardware logo stickers and the old markers for measuring rope. He says it just wouldn’t be the same without the familiar creak as you enter.
The front door of 212 North 2nd Street has been opening to customers since 1905. Originally known as the Quast Building, it housed the General Village Store for five years. The building changed hands and functions many times over the years. It may be referred to as Gorman Hall, Ben Gorman having an ownership interest between 1918 and 1946. Moving away from mercantile, Gorman hosted bands and dancing, roller skating, and the first talking picture show. Gorman also opened a horseshoe court and built a bowling alley in the basement.
By 1947 the entertainment business changed and the building found its lasting identity when M.D. Gulley and H.E. Harvey opened the Marshall-Wells Hardware Store. The Gerken Brothers of Mazeppa purchased the building and continued Hardware sales until 1968, followed by Alvin and Shirley Allers (1968-1994) and James and Yvonne Hinsch (1994-1995). The Poncelets opened C&G Hardware in April of 1995.
Kyle and his siblings grew up in the store. “It was our daycare”, he said, showing where a TV had been when they were children. He is looking forward to his son, Ayven (6) and daughter, Novah (3) spending a lot of time at the store. His wife, Elia is an emergency room registered nurse working in Hastings. They settled on the Vine Haven name as a reference to the vines covering the South side of the building. Kyle and Elia find the area peaceful and knew others also appreciate its beauty after seeing someone pose for their graduation picture there.
The Poncelets also chose the name Vine Haven to create an image of plants and greenery. They will stock a larger assortment of garden products and possibly live plants in the future. Dedicating an area to healthy living is also being planned. The family has moved to greener products and would like to offer things like toxin-free laundry detergent in refillable containers. The store’s upper level—once home to a doctor’s office and later, apartments—remains much untouched since the 1970’s. It has served as storage space but holds potential for new use.
Vine Haven is an independent store not affiliated with any national hardware franchise. Working with the Orgill wholesale distribution company while transitioning from old inventory to new, Kyle can order smaller amounts than large chain stores while maintaining a fair price. Item barcodes are scanned and entered into a digital catalog to keep an accurate inventory. As the sole employee, Kyle is still going through this process but says, “Hardware is the perfect mix of bookwork and service”. Kyle’s affinity for bookkeeping comes from both his mother, who did the paperwork for C&G, and his grandfather, Frank, who turned down the opportunity to own the store in Bellechester in favor of a bookkeeping and tax service.
“Things lined up for me,” Kyle says of the timing of the Althoff Hardware in Cannon Falls closure and online auction where he purchased paint mixing and color-matching equipment. Vine Haven will carry the usual nuts, bolts, plumbing supplies, paint, and tools and can also special order items. The community is looking forward to the convenience of shopping locally and Kyle hopes they will remember to stop when it’s not an emergency.
Building on his family’s 90-year involvement in the hardware business, Kyle is focused on improvement. “This is my social life. I enjoy it {but} helping customers is my number one priority.”
REGULAR BUSINESS HOURS: 7-5 Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 7-3 Wednesday and 8-12 Saturday.
Store phone: 651-923-4591 email: kyle@vinehavenhardware.com Vine Haven Hardware on Facebook
A GRAND OPENING EVENT IS BEING PLANNED FOR MAY 2ND with extended Saturday hours of 7 AM-5 PM. The owner of Edge Pro Knife and Tool will be on hand doing blade sharpening. There will be special sales, prize drawings and refreshments. The Poncelets are working with The Depot and other businesses in town to create an event that promotes and supports the entire community. Watch the Facebook page for updates.
