Newton and his son Blair Neff began working in wood sometime in the 1920s, cutting down walnut trees and shipping the stumps to California to be used for furniture. The enterprise supplemented the family's efforts at the flower and grain mill and orchard it owned. The Neff's bartered their goods and services for the supplies their families and businesses needed to survive. Neff Lumber Mills, Inc. became a full-time operation in 1934 in Broadway, VA. The company has grown continually with uninterrupted family ownership.

In the early days, Neff's lumber was used primarily for furniture and chicken coops. The company also cut railroad ties and big timbers that were used for wooden mine sweepers during World War II. Times have changed and so has Neff's customers. Now, the Broadway company cuts mostly hardwood — white and red oaks, ash, poplar, and walnut — and send it to places like China, Denmark and Saudi Arabia, where it's used for flooring, cabinets and door frames.